The Wildwood heat waves

for @Gyrfalcon | RE: Take cover! A snow squall has kicked up intense winds and blinding snow.
2.17.2021 | early evening | few clouds | -9.4°F, -23°C

The Vuesain male hadn't taken his usual trip through the Heart of the Lore for some days, perhaps a few weeks to be exact. Their makeshift home had been bombarded with visitors lately and Aleister was reluctant to leave them. He wanted to make sure there was nothing that they needed and they were fairing well as their guest to the ragtag group. However, his agouti paws were itching for freedom. The wanderlust would never be lost to the Vuesain, but he now knew how to manage it. With years of running, some would think it would be satiated by now, however, it always seemed to eat away at him constantly. Gnawing at his insides, trying to entice him to leave everything behind again. Now, he couldn't and wouldn't let the wanderlust vixen win. So he managed her and for now he was successful.

Taking the usual trip through the Falls, the dark agouti male trudged through the snow banks to finally reach the Wildwood. By now it was early evening and sunset was only a few hours away. Aleister was taking his time in reaching the abandoned bear den he used as a den during this trip. Having discovered it on his first round trip, the Vuesain continued to use it every time he found his way through this area and each time it was still abandoned. As he was making his way, the snow fall and wind were starting to pick up drastically. Suddenly, the visibility before him depleted even as he squinted his mismatched gaze in order to try to see better. The whipping wind threw snow across his face violently, blurring most of his remaining vision. Almost all he could see was white, but he could make out the shadows of the his route to the bear den. There he was sure he would be able to escape the blinding storm.

He could see it just ahead, only a few more feet to trudge through before he would find solace from the onslaught of Winter's wrath. Within a few moments, he was finally dipping his head and shoulders into the small cavern escaping the snow squall. He didn't take anytime to see if he was the first to find the shelter or if he was going to be joining another...

(This post was last modified: Feb 17, 2021, 07:44 PM by Aleister.)

Gyrfalcon

She'd crossed over into this new place a few days ago. It was strange, not waking up next to her family. Strange and amazing. There was no one to talk about her faults, no one to try to dampen her mood. No one to tell her when to shut up or when to eat at a carcass. The only person she was beholden to, was herself. Seemed like a pretty sweet deal... although she didn't know much about actually being alone without the support of a pack. Maybe she'd figure it out or maybe she'd find another pack. One where she had the choice of sticking around or not with wolves she actually got along with. The world was her oyster now!She crested the top of a hill in the wooded area and took in a deep invigorating breath. Time to do something amazing!The wind started to blow and with it came the scent of snow and storm. Like find a spot to take shelter!That was certainly the first order of business here so that she didn't freeze to death. Wouldn't look good on her Lone Wolf Resume. Out alone, froze to death before accomplishing anything. Bad look all around. So, the earthen-hued woman began to scout around while the wind began to pick up and things began to darken further. She was relieved when she found what looked like an old abandoned bear's den just as the snow started. Perfect place to bunker down and wait out the snow. The only thing that would make it better would be some grub but she couldn't exactly be choosy about that. So, she curled up in the den. Tucking her nose into her tail fur as she prepared to nap through the storm. She'd almost dozed off too... until someone bustled into the den quite suddenly and woke her up fully. "Whoa whoa whoa! Hey buddy! Can't just barge in on a lady sleeping!" She sat up sharply, ears angled forward, as she tried to scoot back as far as she could in the tiny space to get some sort of space between her and the male. She'd not come across much physical conflict in her life but she knew better than to just keep lying down when an unknown stranger was suddenly in front of you. Of course, with the storm he probably just wanted to shelter and besides, it wasn't as if he'd attacked her. "Doesn't matter what the weather is out there." She watched him with a sort of half smile on her face, curious how this would play out. If need be she would defend herself and this cavern if he tried to oust her but she certainly was willing to share.  

458| @Aleister | notes

"I make my own choice"Yeah I run this show

Wolf by Kati H.
Manip & Coding © Plymouth

As he shrunk his frame into the seemingly deserted bear den like he had used on multiple occasions before tonight, he expected to see the same dark, barren walls that he used regularly as shelter while he was on his scouting trips. Tonight was no different as he sought out the den, however, instead of finding the bear den abandoned like usual, this time he was met with sharp words as he seemingly intruded upon someone else already within the den. His mismatched gaze adjusted quickly to the scenery within the cavern as he froze his steps to prevent him from encroaching upon the stranger.

”Hey sorry! Didn’t think someone would find this place in a storm like this,” he answered quickly and honestly as this den wasn’t the most obvious on the game trail. Aleister wouldn’t of found the abandoned den if he hadn’t of practically fallen into it while on his first scouting trip from the Falls. The Vuesain had been chasing a hare who mistakenly thought it would be a good place to hide from the wolf, instead Aleister was treated with dinner that day. Now, he used it almost every trip and continued to be surprised it was still vacant every time he returned.

”You uh- mind to share?” It surely was miserable out there. “Just until the storm clears?” Aleister asked. What did Cernan always say to him? Finder’s keepers? He guessed she was here first, even though his scent probably littered the walls after his multiple uses, however he didn’t claim this den as his own. This area wasn’t what he wanted to protect and claim as his family’s. Though, it would be nice if the female was willing to share the den for time being until the storm passed. Aleister certainly was not fond of the idea of returning to the blinding snow storm

 

Gyrfalcon

The wolf in question didn't seem to be the aggressive sort. Even after her words he apologized for intruding and, well, that set him as being alright in her book. In all honesty, she'd gotten exceedingly lucky in her find. It was a one in a million shot that she had gotten to this place but she was certainly grateful for it. Now even, as she likely would have to share this place she wasn't upset by it. Quite the contrary, if her company proved to be easy to get along with this would be even better. Stuck in a den alone was a chore but if she had someone to talk to then that made it a little more bearable.

"If I'm being honest... I just got pretty lucky!" The young woman said with a full smile and laugh, showing that she hadn't taken any real offense to being walked in on. "I'd be a huuuge turd if I didn't let you sit in here with me. Can't let my fellow wolf freeze to death." She backed up a bit more until she was right up against the wall and then she laid down with her golden gaze on the male. Her eyes were warm, friendly now that she knew that this wouldn't come to any sort of altercation.

Now that she was all settled, the woman noticed something about the male's scent. It was similar to the faded smells in this den. No... it was the same. "So, you come here often?" Obviously but she was one for idle chit-chat. It helped you get to know others better and she loved to make connections and meet new people.

280| @Aleister | sorry for the text wall before, I hadn't realized that I didn't have paragraphs x.x

"I make my own choice"Yeah I run this show

Wolf by Kati H.
Manip & Coding © Plymouth

The earth toned female claimed luck was on her side when she found the old abandoned bear den. Which was most likely true as it was also on his side when he found the cavern in the first place. If he hadn't stumble upon the den on accident, Aleister probably would have never found it. Her laugh lifted his ears as she was nice enough to end up sharing the den with him and not letting him freeze outside in the harsh storm. As she backed up against the cool cavern walls giving him more space to properly settle into the den, he gave a thankful smile as he moved in from the entrance to the heart of the den. Settling upon his stomach as he laid down, his mismatched gaze turned to the female. "Thank you, I appreciate it. I'm Aleister, by the way."

After he settled down within the den opposite of her, she was quick to question if he came here often. The dark agouti male couldn't be sure if she linked the lingering scent that stayed within the den with his, but she most likely caught his statement that hinted he knew the whereabouts of this den from before. "Yes, actually. Every few weeks I stay in this den when I travel through this area." The scouting trips didn't always prove fruitful, but it allowed him to stretch his legs and possibly meet new wolves within the area, getting a better idea of who currently occupied the Lore. "You from around here?" He asked politely, as his eyebrows lifted in question. The Vuesain definitely hadn't met her before and by the smell of her coat she didn't seem to be apart of the group that occupied the western part of the Lore.

 

Gyrfalcon

As the other wolf settled in, one thing that struck her about him was his mismatched eyes. Blue and yellow. One didn't encounter other heterochromatic wolves very often and one certainly didn't see wolves with fully different eyes every day. It was cool! Although, she didn't say as much out loud and simply kept that to herself. "Gyrfalcon!" The woman said with a smile. "It's nice to meet you and don't mention it. By all rights it's your place so I should be thanking you for not kicking me out." She said with a small laugh. It was technically true though. He'd found this place first and used it far more often than she did so he had more claim to it.

So, he travelled through here every few weeks. Interesting. Must be a nomad or something to wander around so much. Unless he was a scout or something for a pack. The earthen female had had an uncle who enjoyed roaming in such a fashion. His paws always carried him away from the pack but he always returned to share stories of his exploits. He was one of the few wolves back home that she'd gotten along with. She missed his outlandish tales and the twinkle in his eyes. Hopefully he was still doing fine with his frequent trips and whatnot. "You sound like an adventurer." She remarked offhandedly.

When he made the question to her, she shook her head. "I'm new here. Just recently left my pack to find something different? I guess." Wasn't too out of the ordinary. Young dispersal wolf heads out to find a new pack to belong, a new sense of purpose. Of course, she didn't mention the conflicts of interest that pushed her into action. That would stay tucked safely inside. "Seems like a pretty neat place so far... save for the raging blizzards." She threw a cheeky glance out to the snowstorm outside. Of course, wherever you went, it was subject to extreme weather so that was no biggie.

337| @Aleister | notes

"I make my own choice"Yeah I run this show

Wolf by Kati H.
Manip & Coding © Plymouth

The earthern woman was quick to introduce herself following his, a smile reaching her lips as she mentioned the den being more his than hers. "I can't completely lay claim to it as I'm sure the critters use it more than me," he replied with a chuckle. Only coming down this way maybe once a month, he was sure something lived here for the weeks he didn't. Though, it was always vacant when he came around, like it knew his schedule.

Adventurer was one way to put it. He certainly never tried to take hold of his birthright until now, so you could say he had been a experienced wanderer. With the Lore seemingly left abandoned, Aleister did want to see who decided to come back or what new personalities found the place. So he was keeping up with his travels through the areas around him to see what he could find. The Vuesain sure was finding a lot.

Gyrfalcon was new to the land, seeking something different than her pack. Though she found the place neat other than the raging blizzards they were suffering though. "This is nothing compared to living on the mountain," he commented with a soft chuckle. This was nothing compared to what the range could produce.