Shroud of the Lost a beautiful morning

For @Lantana

For now, he likes being where he is.

It feels peaceful. It feels like what his home should've been, ethereal and angelic and- well, the peaks touch the sky, jutting into them like teeth but the way the sun breaks over them...

(Plus there's no Woya. Can't overstate that.)

Why the hang-up on Woya? She's like an anti-compass, that's why. She gives him someone to ridicule and loathe a little on his wanderings, she gives him a place he doesn't want to go to because he doesn't like tiny wolves that can possibly hand his ass to him, but.. She's a nice distraction. It's not like he hates her with every fiber of his being. All in all, especially as time passes, he's pretty indifferent to her. It's just habit at this point. "oh, can't go over the mountains, too much woya" "ah damn you're dreary and down today, think of outwitting woya and you'll cheer up" "oh man I wanna lay down and die, too bad woya would approve of that, so I can't"

(Except Malien doesn't want to lay down and die, he's more the "bash my head against a rock because I'm frustrated by my thoughts" kinda guy.)

The sun is rising. It's really cold, and really beautiful. Frost and snow cling to every tree and branch, crisp and sharp, thin mist curling between trunks and bushes and slowly being burned away where the sun touches them. It.. glitters.

The world glitters.

His eyes glitter along with it.

(This post was last modified: Jan 15, 2023, 05:35 PM by Malien.)

The tricolor woman was moving through the frozen forest, having risen earlier than she usually liked and taken a step away from the duo she'd joined up with. She'd be back, she'd said it so easily. Just off scouting for signs of prey, or danger. At least, that's what she meant to be doing. Instead she kept finding herself drawing her thoughts in, trying to see how pieces might fit together and then casting them away again. Her ears lay back in irritation at herself, she shouldn't worry too much. She'd just ruin a potentially good thing, doing that.

Or walk right into a potentially bad thing. Her head snapped up as she caught the scent of another, glancing about to confirm a patch of grey moving where the rest of the world stood still. She really should pay more attention, why couldn't she focus?

Taking a breath, she decided to see what kind of hand fate would deal today. There was no point in slinking off now, at least she see what she could learn. Letting out a short bark by way of a hello, Lana stepped toward the man and stopped a fair enough distance away to still hopefully keep them both in their comfort zones. "Haven't seen ya around here before," her voice was light and jovial. Never mind that she'd hardly been around here long, she hadn't smelled him before and had quickly grown accustomed to these lands being eerily empty

Currently traveling with Loach, Llinnea, Clouse and Claw.

It's easy to get lost in this place - not just for the fog and the trees, but the .. beauty .. of it. His breath smokes in front of his face, catching the light as it rises, dissipates; and everywhere all around him glitter glitter glitter glitter--

And each patch of sunlight is a welcome warmth on his back and shoulders, each shadow stark and thrusting him roughly into the deep cold.

He is, admittedly, a bit lost in it. He is also, admittedly, a pretty good runner and not terribly afraid of lone wolves, nor cougars. So all in all, it's not surprising that it is her bark, not her scent, which brings him back to reality. Malien's head whips around, but his posture remains neutral. Where.. ah, there - she's a very wolfy wolf, for lack of a better adjective. "Good morning," he greets her, his tail giving a polite, low sway.

She sounded pretty cheerful. Good. He's really not in a mood for anything complicated. "I've been wandering further south and east, only started heading this way yesterday." Honesty is cheap in terms of brainpower. "You been hanging around this forest a lot?" She sure smells like it, and she smells of a few more wolves, but it's.. not from around here? There's no strong musk from close borders, just an empty forest and two wolves.

Had she surprised him? Lana quickly offered a small shrug and smile, an easy way to smooth over any potential tension as he greeted her in turn, offering a more formal greeting than her own.

Without a border or meal to potentially come between them, this should be a good chance to learn a little something. If he was amenable. Her own tail swayed gently as she tipped her ears to catch his response. Things seemed promising, so far.

"A bit lately," she was trying to familiarize herself with the area surrounding their little camp at the split in the river, not too far away. Just far enough to give her the space to think for today.

Lana didn't think she ought to tell just anyone she met about their place yet, though. She was just a guest, really, little more. "I came through this area earlier this year, and made my way back recently. It's something to see this morning, hmm?" Around them, the morning light glinted and reflected off every possible surface. But they weren't really here to chat about the weather, were they?

Without getting too much into her situation, she tipped her head in curiosity. South and East? she wondered if he'd been near the ridge. "On your travels, did you see a forest of willows?" She really should stop looking for things she'd already given up on, but she'd never been smart enough to listen to her better instincts.

Currently traveling with Loach, Llinnea, Clouse and Claw.

There's no indication this will go south. Good. She seems perfectly reasonable and friendly, so really, there's no reason for him not to match that. His tail picks up a friendly sway, ears pricking politely. Vague answer, but that was about to be expected.

"It really is," he hums in agreement, taking his eyes off her to watch the world again. Rather abruptly he finds himself wondering where @Artyom is; if it is in a place as enchanting as this.

He's.. not sure what to make of that. Where did that thought come from? Smoothing over the frown before it has a chance to appear he turns his head back to Lantana, only.. she asks him about the willows. Of all things, why did she have to pick that?!

He hesitates. The winter air is in cold in his mouth. His lower jaw moves a little, but he doesn't make any sound. He doesn't want to think about Venus any longer, but she keeps haunting him, taunting him with that hole she left in his soul when she fell from the sky.

It's just a second - maybe even less. He .. sighs. (Come to think of it, it is both awfully emotive and honest for being him.) ".. yes."

The man sighed, the exhalation bringing a fresh cloud of mist into the sunlight. She had been trying to keep things vague, but suddenly felt the inkling she had asked something more personal than intended. But then, maybe that's why it was better to leave some stones unturned.

"I spent some time with the pack there this summer, but they have disbanded recently. I just thought to ask," she trailed off there.

There was no need to continue, but perhaps her new would mean more to him than she'd realized when they met. Suddenly she was not as eager to press this man for information, and swayed her tail in silent apology.

Currently traveling with Loach, Llinnea, Clouse and Claw.

Of course she couldn't have known this weird thing he was hung up on had happened to him, related to the Willows- but she's sensitive enough to pick up on it. Almost apologetic, or reluctant, and Malien finds himself fighting a frown from coming onto his face. On one hand, yeah, he could be irrationally upset at her for accidentally asking something which hurt a little, but on the other- he's almost annoyed about the way she seemed to want to back off the subject.

Neither of which would help him, so he fights to keep it down, and just looks away. "I came across them in the fall," he offers, quiet still, irritated with himself for his sudden urge to.. soothe her? Let her know it was okay? Ach, he doesn't know, he just knows that he doesn't want her to think she did something wrong because she hadn't. Just own it. "But, they were already falling apart, so..." He shrugs. It feels like it should mean that it's okay, that he's over it, but there's too much weight in it. "There wasn't any difference I could make."

She hadn't expected this of all things to be something she would share with the stranger. His words were all too familiar, like the ones she had recited to herself often since leaving the Ridge. But to hear it from another, Lantana found herself wondering once again if it was really true. Maybe if she had stayed there, she really could have made a difference. But none of that mattered anymore, and if she had regrets the only thing to do was act differently now. To be for Loach and Llinnea what she could not for the Archer family. "I hope they're well now," she spoke quietly with a somber nod. Regrets, hopes, excuses, promises, they all seemed equally half-empty.

"Are you headed anywhere in particular?" Lana tried to close that particular subject and change tracks, giving a tilt of her head. She planned to stick around the Split for a bit if they'd have her there, but, it would still be wise to learn more about the surrounding lands if she could. She had survived this long by always paying attention to the details, having a backup plan, and knowing her options. Surely he'd understand that.

Currently traveling with Loach, Llinnea, Clouse and Claw.

But you left them - then why do you hope they are well? Malien is used to this oddity of thought and feeling from others, so his expression doesn't change. Malien doesn't particularly care anymore, if he ever even had. They hadn't been able to give him anything, because they were like the dead leaves blown about, and he had left no attachments there. Just.. dreams of something else. "I hope so too," he answers, because it is the socially acceptable thing to say, and he's not feeling spiteful enough to wish them any misfortune just for not being good enough. He doesn't think much about them at all.

But that's neither here nor there, really. Malien licks his lips thoughtfully at the question. How honest does he want to be? "Not really," he says after a moment, cocking his head as he watches her. "I spent some time down by the peaks to the south, and it's.. a very pleasant place. So I figured I'd explore the surroundings a bit." Does he want to stay here? Maybe. "What about you?" You smell like this corner of the world.

There was not much more to say of the past, which was likely for the best. But at the mention of future plans, she thought she might glimpse a little more interest sparked in the man.

The peaks to the south, hmm? "Oh?" She piped, filing that tidbit away for whatever it was worth. The Split might be good hunting, and fresh water, but the mists and dreary forests were not exactly her idea of pleasant. And who knew how long she'd stay, if she'd even be welcome to? It left her curious what other facets the area might hold. This place was certainly lovely enough at the moment, with its glinting crystal finery. But pleasant was not safe or a full belly and even the current beauty would not last the season.

"I've been staying around here, but I don't know if I'll stay long. Its been on my mind," she explained her reasons for wandering today.  A part of her wanted to stay with the others, but the part of her that held others at a distance and discarded them easily was not far off. And who knew if they'd want her around once they didn't need her so much? It didn't quite feel right to invite the stranger back to the Split, like throwing a party at a house that wasn't hers. But she was glad she'd run into him today, he was pleasant enough to speak to and seemed not unlike herself, a wanderer used to coming and going as he pleased.

Currently traveling with Loach, Llinnea, Clouse and Claw.