Red Rock Falls The Hills Have Eyes

She wasn’t sure what drew her over the mountain and she was even more unsure what drew her towards the red hills she had spotted in the distance as she had descended the mountain. Perhaps it was just to see if she could make it to whatever was in the distance, to see what was or wasn’t there.

And when she had reached the beginning of dark soil turning into red stone and sand, from lush plants to rugged sticks that grew sparingly, Gwendolyn wasn’t sure what possessed her to continue deeper into these red, sandy hills except for perhaps her stubbornness to find out what was in it. There were narrow pathways up to the tops of those hills, she could tell as she drew closer and studied the hills in detail. It was so unlike anything she’d ever seen, so alien looking to her, having never seen so much vibrant red in one spot. Sure, she lived through a few autumns, when some leaves on trees could turn various shades of yellow to orange to red to brown and everything in between, along with various other plants slowly dying off or going dormant to survive the colder months. But there was a burst of other colours that came with it. All sorts of berries and other edible plants came into their own, blooming with fruits and everything else.

Yet here, to her eyes so far, there was no rhyme or reason as to how or why anything grew here. There wasn’t much green to be seen and the little to be seen seemed a much duller colour than she was accustomed to. How did things grow here, in this sandy soil? She wondered, as her paws sank into sand and her claws scrapped against rough red stone. It was so desolate out here, with not much to look at and so much so after a good while of hiking, she’d made it to the top of a big particularly sandy hill without realising just how much time had passed except for the moon slowly moving across the night sky, behind the clouds. She paused to catch her breath, eyes to the sky as the clouds fluffed about. Yet something cause both her nose and ears to perk up - the sound of rushing water nearby. Now interested in seeing where this water was coming from, a burst of energy hit Gwendolyn and she pushed on a bit further, towards the sound. If there was water, not only could she quench her thirst but perhaps there was something interesting to see.

As she carefully rounded a rock face - and good lord, was that a large cliff she saw out of the corner of her eye, as she wandered down a sandy pathway, trying to to slip too deeply into the sand - her breath was taken away, as her silver eyes darted around at the oasis that stood in front of her. Though there weren’t many plants still, it was still richer than anything to be seen for quite a distance. And the tiers that dropped down at the bottom of the waterfall wasn't something she’d really seen before, at least on such a large scale.

@Gwendolyn  -  hello, I hope you don't mind me jumping in!

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It was the low, distant roar and rush of water that first caught her attention - and oh, how it was music to her ears. Isomne had grown up close to the song of the river, and the sound of the headwaters rushing over the familiar worn cliffs and into the heart of her birth home was something she could remember as freshly as if she had only left it behind yesterday. Her ears tipped forward, honing in on the source of the sound. No, it wasn't the same - the hum was different, the timbre of the land itself was ever variable and endlessly surprising - but it sounded enough like home that it wasn't just thirst that guided her now. It was something that couldn't be gotten rid of quite so easily - homesickness. She knew better than to go back, but was it so bad to look for whatever scraps of familiarity and comfort she could find?

The odds of such a place being hospitable seemed long at best. The path before her was rough and thinly worn, barely more than a suggestion amid sharp planes of ruddy stone. She picked her way along as quickly as her sense of caution would allow, staining her creamy paws red as she went - and then pausing in surprise. There were prints in the sand here! Her head snapped up and she redoubled her pace, following the scent of the other who had apparently found safe enough passage here. Isomne was pleasantly surprised to find the ominous bloody-hued rock facade giving way to gentler terrain and even a bit of plant life. It was hardly the opulent mosses and ferns she missed so dearly, but it was rather lovely all the same.

Her anticipation grew as the rumbling of the falls filled her ears, until at last she peeked around a boulder and spotted the tumultuous cascade - as well as the other woman she had apparently been trailing after. After so many lonely days and nights of travel through sparse lands, another face was almost as welcome as a bit of home on the road. Hopefully, it would prove to be a friendly face at that.

"Oh, hello there!" Isomne called out brightly, dancing toward the other woman. "I hope I'm not imposing upon you?" Her voice lilted upward at the end of the statement, singsong and questioning above the dull roar of the falls.

Despite the rumblings of the falls, Gwen still found the place rather peaceful and because of this, after taking a quick drink, had decided to simply rest next to the edge, with her claws dangling just in the water. It was...comforting, to be alone and gather her thoughts. To try and think of what her next move would be. Maybe try find a pack? There'd always been a piece of her that wondered what it'd be like to be a part of one, to see how it ran and what it was like to have more then herself or one other to rely on.

Yet Gwendolyn knew she wasn't the most gregarious wolf out there - she wasn't one to suffer fools most of the time, at least before coming to these lands and she hadn't grown up in a pack so there had never been that social politeness instilled into her. And currently, she hadn't been in the mood to entertain another wolf because, well she hadn't expected to see someone else in these rolling hills.

Yet her mother had still taught her to be polite towards others, unless they weren't otherwise so when there was a brightly called "Oh, hello there!", she barely kept a sigh from dropping from her mouth before looking over her shoulder towards the smaller creamy wolf that stepping towards her with a bounce in her step.

"Hello to you as well," Gwendolyn dipped her head back in greeting, her tone light enough to be welcoming to the other as she eyed the other slightly before turning back to the falls. "And no, you're not. I'm simply having a rest before moving on. You're welcome to join me, if you wish?"

Isomne gave a small wag of her tail, listening intently. The other wolf seemed older, though it was hard to tell by exactly how much. Isomne's gaze dropped a little as the other woman answered - she was quite polite, and she did not rebuff Isomne in any way, but the way her gaze skirted away to the waters, and the words she chose, nonetheless gave the girl the sense that her usual enthisasm might be somewhat misplaced here. She tried not to read too much into it, or to be dissapointed that after so much time alone on the road, the first stranger she encontered would not share her excitement at their chance encounter. That would be ridiculous, honestly, but there was a small part of her that felt this way nonetheless. She tried to forget the foolish idea, lifting her chin and following the silver-eyed gaze. At least she didn't seem hostile, that was something to be glad for.

"Ah," Isomne lowered her voice compared to her initial greeting, nodding as she spoke. "Yes, I'd love to join you for a bit. Thank you." She tiptoed nearer to the edge of the water, nearer to the other, until she found a smooth spot and settled herself gently there. As she did so she sniffed curiously at the breeze, but if the other woman shared the company of anyone, the girl could not smell them. The creamy-hued girl stretched for a moment and then gingerly copied the other woman's pose, dipping first one dirt-stained paw and then the other to rest in the shallow waters. "Ahhh," this time the sound was entirely involuntary, nothing but an indulgence, but she couldn't resist. It really did feel wonderful.

They were close enough to speak over the rushing of the water, but Isomne waited a long moment before speaking again. It was nice to simply sit in the company of another, listening to the same sounds, sharing space, letting the cool waters rinse her tired feet. She truly hoped she was not intruding, but she had chosen to take the other woman at her word.

After a long moment had passed, though, she had to break the silence. "I'm hoping to find someone who could tell me more about this region... I don't suppose you would be able to indulge me?" she had travelled for many days without seeing another soul, and felt alone and adrift. She had to try and cast a line now and then when the chance came, and it had to pay off eventually... even so, she still regretted breaking the moment of serenity that had settled over them.