Hot Springs contemplation

He hadn’t been to the hot springs for a while, but today, the dark one decided he wanted a break from the constant chill of winter. How something like this could exist in one of the coldest regions Jet had ever encountered was completely beyond his understanding, but he didn’t want to question it, either.

This was a good place to come when he wanted to think about things, which Jethro had discovered early on, and he had a lot to think about. A lot to do, as well, depending on the choices he made. The desire to venture back out on his own was growing stronger with each passing day. This time though, the desire to explore held more purpose than it had before.

For if he were to ever have a shot at making his dream a reality, he’d need to see and know much more about the surrounding areas than he did, at present. There were a couple of others he needed to speak with, too, but that could come in time. For now, Jethro was content to linger beside the springs. The warm water felt pleasant, submerging his paws as he waded a short distance into it. And for the moment he resisted the temptation to dive in completely.

The chill of the air had gotten into her bones once more. More specifically her leg which meant that it was time for a trip to the hot springs once again. It was slowly becoming one of her favorite places in the winter. Most days she could handle the weather and her leg didn't bother her too much. Other days it was sometimes unbearable and a trip to the hot springs to soothe it was in order. Everyday she regretted the decision to go after her mother that fateful day. She couldn't take it back now but for the most part she'd learned to live with it.

The journey to the springs was a familiar one that she probably could have made with her eyes closed. She didn't of course. It felt much too long with each step she took towards her goal. The thought of the relief she would feel once her leg was submerged kept her paws moving.

Then finally it came into view and a smile crossed her maw. Except as she scanned the area she spotted another wolf. Not just any other, it was Jethro. She thought that could be interesting. The crow didn't waste any time as her paws carried her right up to the water amd she slowly waded in. Then when her leg was feeling a little better she turned to the man. They'd never had the chance to talk so this was prefect. "Hello Jethro, you seeking comfort from the cold as well?"

Please see Sharlee's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

He was not the only one that’d sought the warmth of this place, it seemed. Jet stood silently to observe as another familiar dark figure approached, and she wasted little time wading into the warmth much further than he. Oksana, he knew her as, though he’d yet to do anything more than meet her in passing. Most recently it seemed she was the love interest - or something to that effect anyway, of the pack’s reinstated alpha.

Something Jet was a little skeptical of, considering the man already had kids with someone else, who he apparently didn’t care about like that. But Jet had little experience in that department, didn’t know the whole story, and it wasn’t his place to comment on it. If everyone involved was happy, that was what mattered. As long as this one didn’t use her new status to treat him like shit, it wouldn’t be his business, and they wouldn’t have an issue. And thankfully, Oksana didn’t seem like that type, unlike some he’d known.

He would’ve been content to let the silence remain between them, and to let the other go about her business. But she chose to speak, greeting him kindly and with an inquiry. ”G’morning, and yah, you could say that.” Jet replied with a smile and a nod, wading into the water a little further as well. ”Find it’s a good place to gather my thoughts, too. Either way, though, nice to have it here. Specially during the winter,” the dark one admitted with a shrug. The hot springs was surely something he’d miss, when he departed from here.

(This post was last modified: Feb 07, 2022, 03:02 AM by Jethro.)

The water felt nice on her aching leg. In the past year she'd felt like the pain had spread further down into her paw. As the time passed that she was in the warm water the pain started to dissipate completely giving her the opportunity to speak with with her packmate. She probably should have spoken to him before now but it all honesty she felt him to be a rather mysterious man. Oksana was a little curious about Siyet's interest in him.

Oksana when she was finally able to think about something other than her injury finally turned her orange gaze.om him. She greeted him cheerfully and he greeted her back in kind. He also brought up something intriguing as he explained coming to the springs. The Crows head tilted to the side as she gave it some thought and then nodded.

"You do have a point," she agreed, "Its quiet Herr, a perfect place to be alone with your thoughts and sort things out." She smiled her tail sloshing the water a little, "I unfortunately haven't really used it for that purpose. I really do like having it here but it's not the reason I chose to stay with the cove." That would in her opinion just be wrong. "I'm sorry if I'm overstepping," she started, "But I was wondering are you doing alright after the lynx I mean?" She knew that he'd gotten hurt she just wasn't sure how badly.

Please see Sharlee's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

A young Bull Elk has gotten separated from its herd. Hunt opportunity! +10 Health

It was unfortunate that he hadn’t had time to accompany Nori here, Jet thought. He had imagined scenes of the fun they could've had more than once. Though, it didn’t seem as if that was meant to be. As long as his lost friend was alright, that was the most important thing. If only he had a way of knowing that.

However, it did not seem his current company had really considered this as a spot for thinking. He had a point, she said. But unfortunately she hadn’t used it for that purpose. Her subsequent thought was a rather good one though, something Jethro found himself nodding in agreement to.

”Yah. Place is a nice benefit, but not a good enough reason to say, itself,” he spoke in agreement. ”Don’t think it’s.. uh, unfortunate that ya don’t come here for thought, though. To each their own, and all that.” Different wolves viewed places with alternating viewpoints, and there wasn’t anything wrong with that. For Jet, this was a place to think - and maybe for his packmate it was somewhere to rest and relax.

When Oksana apologized if she was potentially overstepping though, and then proceeded to simply ask if he was okay after the lynx ordeal, Jet was all but certain he didn’t have to worry about her trying to abuse power at all. That was.. incredibly courteous, almost too much so. He couldn’t help but stare in mild surprise for a short moment but gave his head a slight shake to ward off those thoughts.

”Oh, I’m fine. Few scrapes aren’t somethin’ I’ve never dealt with before.” Jet shifted slightly, rolling the shoulder forth for his packmate to inspect if she chose to. There was nothing noteworthy there to be had now, except a couple of scars and a bit of missing fur where he'd been slashed that would eventually grow back. ”Appreciate you askin’ though. It didn’t get you, if I recall correctly, did it?” He didn’t think it had, but in the blur of adrenaline-fueled blood lust the whole ordeal had been, Jethro wasn’t completely sure if his present company had escaped unscathed.

Oksana took a moment to look around after Jethro had mentioned using it as a place to think. She supposed she'd never really done that before. Always so concerned with making her leg feel better. It was peaceful that was for sure but in a way it was also kind of private. The ground around the spring was sandy, that she knew cause she'd often time laid there until she was dry before going back out into the cold. The one thing that wasn't so pleasant was the smell, she wondered then if Lee had ever noticed it on her fur.

If he had he hadn't ever asked about it not that she would mind telling the story. Though she might regret the decision that led her to breaking her leg she had come to terms with it a long time ago.

Her thoughts were brought back to Jethro as he spoke to her. She smiled, "Maybe while I'm soaking my leg I should spend more time thinking but you are right. Not every wolf is going to use it for the same reasons. Though I so have to wonder how many uses a place like this has that we haven't consodered," she said thoughtfully.

Like Siyet Oksana felt a little bad that she hadn't gone to check on the man after the Lynx attack. She would have to work on that but she also didn't want to offended anyone. She knew that some might see it as sticking her nose in especially when she barely knew them. She smiled a little nervously when she noticed h staring.

Thankfully he wasn't offended at all and filled her in on the injuries he'd suffered. "Nothing too serious then "I'm glad to hear that. I'm also really glad that we all came together like that. Thank you Jethro for being there and helping like you did." Because Oksana was aware that just because you were in a pack didn't mean you had to help the pack. Then he asked after her and thanked her. "You're quite welcome," she told him with a smile. "And no it didn't get me but I hope I hurt it as bad as I think I did." After what it did, she might be a little angry about it.

Please see Sharlee's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

The other mentioned her leg being the reason for her trips here, something that definitely made sense to Jet. To say he wasn’t curious about it would be a lie, but as with many things, it wasn’t his business. What the injury was a result of didn’t really matter to him, anyway, so there was no point in asking about or expressing pity over something Oksana had quite clearly learned to live with.

”You could, I guess. And who knows what other uses this place could have,” Jet agreed with a slight roll of his shoulders. ”But sometimes it’s just as nice to enjoy the quiet of someplace and not think about anythin’, though. To let yourself just be.. in the moment.” That was something that had carried him through quite a lot in his relatively short life so far, and one thing about him that hadn’t changed. An appreciation for exploration, and seeing wonders offered by nature.

Oksana also expressed an opinion similar to what he’d felt, pertaining to the lynx ordeal. Again, he shrugged a bit at the thanks but offered a small smile. ”Glad we solved that as quick as we did, too. Ya don’t have to thank me, though. Long as I’m here, that’s my job. Better for it to be me that gets hurt than someone else, anyway.”

He could not suppress a slight chuckle at the last bit though. ”I think ya did. You tore it up pretty damn good.” He did not feel an ounce of pity for their foe, and it was nice to see that someone apparently shared that viewpoint. That was what the damned thing deserved if it thought it could steal from the pack.

Oksana had come to the conclusion that the hot springs could be used for many things. She just hadn't considered all of the possibilities. Despite the smell that hung in the air it would be a nice place to do those activities that would require a quiet place where you most likely wouldn't be disturbed.

Jethro brought up another point. Her orange eyes landed on him as he spoke of enjoying a place just because it was peaceful. "Yes, you could. Sitting in the quiet would be a nice way to get away from the daily stresses of life." And there was plenty of things that could be stressful. Worrying about food and making sure you had shelter. Sure some of those worries were relieved a little when you lived in a pack but that came with its own stresses. "Have you done that?" She asked, "Just be in the moment," she clarified so he'd know what she was speaking of.

Oksana was very glad that the whole situation with the Lynx was dealt with swiftly. It was when things went on too long that put others in danger. Oksana smiled when he spoke of her not having to thank him. Maybe he was right since it was a pack effort and he was part of the pack. "I feel I should thank you. Just because we all worked together I still think that it's nice to be able to let another know that their efforts are appreciated. It doesn't matter if that's your job. It can be very discouraging if you don't know." He'd also spoke about him getting hurt, Oksana frowned, "I wish that you hadn't gotten hurt at all." She wanted then all to make it out without injury no matter how unrealistic that was.

She had expressed that she'd hoped she'd done some real damage to the cat. She smiled a little shyly at his words, "I'm glad, with a pack and children to protect I didn't want to risk it getting away and doing something worse." She was glad that it was dead. One less thing for the pack to worry about.

Please see Sharlee's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

The other agreed that the place could also be good just to get away for a while, and indeed it was. Although, in comparison to where he had come from, even daily life here had, for the most part, been pretty damned easy. The challenges they had faced had all been made easier because of just how coordinated and well bonded most of this pack was.

Oksana asked him a question though, to which Jethro offered her a smile and a nod. ”I have, and I do. All the time.” That had been what’d carried him through his early life, to disconnect from all of the associated.. emotions, that had gone along with it. Jet believed himself a better man now because of that.

His company explained why she had felt compelled to thank him, her reasoning earning her another notch of respect, and further indicating just how vastly different these wolves were from those he’d grown up with. Jet’s ears turned back a bit at that, his becoming slightly more reserved. ”I guess.. you’re right. It is nice t’hear those things. I.. uh, am just not.. used to hearin’ it. I come from a place that was.. pretty bad,” the dark one admitted.

It did not cease to amaze him, how much easier it was to talk and think about the past, now that it no longer had such a hold on him. ”But I also.. ah, appreciate the home that was offered to me, here. In exchange, I do my job. Knowing I’m accepted is encouragement enough, without anyone havin’ to say it.” Maybe he was a little distant from most, and not related by blood or some other way to the others. But they’d let him stay, and for that, Jet would be eternally thankful.

Jet shrugged a little at the notion of getting hurt. ”So do I. But, you got a mate, I think? Most of the others have kids or are family. I have none of that. So if it has to be anyone, riskin’ themself, it should be me.” It made the most sense, anyway. As long as he was here, it should be him putting himself at risk. Nobody would be truly upset for long if something bad were to happen to him.

They did share similar logic as it pertained to the lynx, and Jet offered his companion another nod. ”Yah. Hopefully, it’s the last threat we have to deal with for a while.” That was maybe a little overly optimistic, but one could always hope.