Shroud of the Lost might zone out to the yap of the magpie

For @Avesta <3

Subterritory Name: Sleeping Meadows
Parent Territory: Shroud of the Lost
Lat/Lng: -37.30028, -24.43359
Picture: https://unsplash.com/photos/q-BpZbBa7yM
Description: The Shroud opens up for a moment's reprieve in this clearing and offers a herbalist's dream beneath the soft fog. In particular, one might recognize the vanilla-like fragrance of sweet grass as they walk through the meadow in warm months. However various other grassy herbs seem to flourish here in their respective seasons as well, tinging the air in floral scents. In the winter, one will only find an empty quiet world here instead, untouched by much of anything.

He had left the riverside for but a moment. Politely (as Loach could, mind you) informed everybody that he planned to take a little trip. See if the land was truly well and empty. For a while, he had followed the scent of a coyote. He thought that if anything it might lead him to a meal from the land. Instead it had grown stale and seemed to be swiftly replaced with the scent of...dead grass. Nothing. The land opened up in front of him. The trees gave way to a clearing.

He bet it would have been a sight to see in the warm months. As it stood now? Snow, lots and lots of snow. All piled up in the sweeping fields.

Slowly he began to shuffle his nose through some of the snow, wondering if he might find something good beneath it all. Maybe something dead, maybe something promising that would grow in the spring.

It was the winter that left her bothered, a frown clearly placed upon her features as her pale paws crunched in the snow. She could see her breath every time she exhaled, which meant it was certainly too damned cold for her. Her tail lashed in a near irritant way from side to side, huffing as well. Despite it all, a mist still lingered over the air, puzzling in it’s own right as she placed step after step. She wasn’t looking for anything in particular, not even food. She’d had the good fortunes of scavenging a decent meal not terribly long before, though she knew if she were to find something it would not be wise for her to turn it down.

There weren’t even trees to present her shelter from the winds, causing her a soft sigh. The open expanse, however, would reveal a figure in the distance, her eyes squinting though the figure was blurry and distant, resulting in a low yield of results. She moved over, approaching, her tail waving slowly from side to side as her curiosity piqued up. A near sly smile finding her maw as she blinked, moving forward. “Hello?” She would call out, all of the confidence she had mustered over the years since leaving the oppressive hell that had been her home.

He thought her a ghost at first. Maybe a snowy reflection of himself in the distance. Maybe Llinnea or Lana had come out this way. It would not be such an outlandish thought, would it?

But her voice pierced the snowy air and he realized that most ghost's didn't bother with small talk.

Aye! Over 'ere! He called out warmly. Stupidly, maybe. He had no clue on the motives but this far from the creek (and having only met the well meaning...) he felt alright encountering new faces.

The field's a beast in winter, ain't it? He called out warmly, hoping to further coax his newfound company.

The snow stuck to her pelt, hiding much of the pale tawny fur that cloaked her back, her eyes narrowing once more as she made her approach, hearing what appeared to be a warm but masculine voice greeting her in turn, smiling as she made her way through the open field. His comment would bring a chuckle from her all the same.

“You could certainly say that.” She would offer, a hint of a raspy voice merely from the lack of exercise of it over the past few days, blinking for a moment at him as she took in his features. “What is your name?” She would ask curiously in turn, wondering just what about this man made him tick. It would prove to help her in the long run.

This entire place was new to her, just as the freedom of her current lifestyle was… and that meant there was still much for her to learn before she came in and knocked down every societal pillar she could.

She reminded him a bit of Lana in those first few moments. Well spoken. A pale tawny coat. He wondered what the deal was with wayward women of a high class seemingly wandering the shroud. Socializing with his kind.

Loach. But he asked not for one back! It would either be given, or he could prod for it when things seemed settled. When he might know if she would be a good fisher too.

The shroud is seeing more faces lately, but I didn't expecting an open clearing. Nor did I expect to meet you here in it. There was warmth to his pumpkin eyes and a lazy smirk sprawled across his features.

Loach. It was an interesting name, that was for sure… He did not ask for hers in turn but she would give it anyway. She had been raised a certain kind of way, and while she tended to go against everything that she had been raised to believe, there were certain manners that had a way of creeping back in. “I’m Ve.” She offered back in greeting alone.

He had a warmth to him, something foreign to her. She had not seen much other than righteous fear in her pack, the men never coming around them though she still was not sure as to why. More specifically, they would never be alone with them like the man in front of her seemed to be.

“What brings you out this way? I’m passing through but this seems like a strange place to settle down.” It was very open, not protected from the weather… a bold assumption and a puzzling question indeed.

Miss Ve.

He committed it to memory with a warm ease. Content to make a friend of her if she so allowed. It wouldn't hurt to know more faces around here...

Aye, ain't the place for me. He rumbled with a laugh, eyes crinkled some in the corners. I'm settled down by a river not far from here. A lil crew keeping me close. Loach could not stop the raised state of one brow with a curious look. His face often times bore the brunt of his thinking.

You got a crew? Hard to be out 'ere in the cold, Miss Ve.

He had settled by a river. She was learning more and more information: there was a river nearby, he had a crew which means he did not travel alone like she did… her tail thumped, finding herself quite thrilled with the idea of there being some metric of a civilization nearby.

Of course, it very much depended on what was being looked at. What was Loach like with his crew? How limiting was he? Did he rule over them with an iron fist, or were they a band of friends? There were many questions to be spawned out of it.

The question brought the light batting of her eyelashes. “I don’t have anybody.” She did not hesitate to admit, taking a cautious step forward. “Why, are you offering?” She asked rather coyly before she practically bounced around him in a circle with a hint of a chuckle. “My momma and my daddy were a little too overbearing, so I made it out on my own. It might not be easy, but at least it’s freeing.”

He thought of @Clouse with warm cheeks. It was something in that same kind of way she asked if he was offering. Perhaps it was presumptuous on his end, but could it be helped? Memories ruined his mind more often than not.

Aye, it's freeing indeed. My crew is free. Even if it's my crew, they're not mine, y'know? He did not demand to know Llinnea or Lana's every move. Truthfully he anticipated the day when he'd wake and everybody would be gone. Especially when he had not much more to offer other than fish.

Whatcha travel out for, Ve? Just the freedom or you got bigger dreams you're hiding?

At the very least he seemed to understand where she was coming from. The agouti woman had never felt like anyone back home had understood, or wanted to explain to her at the very least what was so necessary about the stifling pack structure. Perhaps he had a similar experience; she had to assume that all packs were the same as her homeland, because it was the only experience she had with it all.

He would ask about travelling, about her dreams and it brought a frown, a shrug. “Just freeing. I was drowned for too long.” Drowned by the rules, the lack of explanation that had driven her near insanity. “Yours but not yours? It sounds interesting.” She would admit with a strange look on her features, as if she were trying to decide whether or not he was telling the truth.

“Who are your crew?”