Frog Chirp Creek No matter where you go, there you are

RE: Reade, you find someone's prints in the snow near your personal cache.
Feb 3rd, Mid-day, Overcast Clouds -2.29 ° F, -19.05 ° C
For @Sharlee

A deer that had been taken down by the recent cold snap was a macabre reminder of winter's power, but it was also a boon for Reade. He had not pursued larger prey much since being on his own, without a hunting partner. And so, had thanked the Fates warmly for the gift. He'd been growing hungry, more than hungry even. It was enough to let the wanderer know that the Fates were on his side, at least for now.

It was only a matter of time until someone else found the meat, but with some clever work he could keep the cache hidden well and feast for a time. A hollow in the side of a frozen creek's embankment, beneath the shelter of a long-fallen tree where the strewn boughs and absence of snow would not go amiss.

This morning he was returning from an early scouting trip, when a set of fresh prints in the snow nearby caught his attention. Sniffing around for a moment in the light powder, he raised his head, wondering if whoever had left them was nearby. "Hello there?" he called out, voice bright. The prospect of someone else nearby meant the possibility he might need to share or defend his cache, but it also meant he could maybe get news or any number of possibilities, who knew what the Fates might bring today? The forest swallowed up the echo of his voice, making everything a little more foreboding than he'd really have liked.

(This post was last modified: Feb 03, 2023, 07:24 PM by Reade.)

It had been a couple of weeks since her return from her absence so Sharlee was trying not to venture too far from home. That however wasn't working out for her. The Valle woman was finding it hard to find any sort of prey in the forests of the backwater. So she'd had to venture a little further than she had in the days since her return.

Sharlee found herself in a place that she didn't visit often but she had comfort that she would easily be able to find her way home. She searched for a scent that would mean food for her and the others. Though they weren't hurting she wanted to make sure that they'll didn't.

The scent she caught was not found on the ground. Instead she'd caught it by scenting the air. The Valle woman followed the scent further into the forest. Though the scent had grown stronger Sharlee hadn't been able to pinpoint it before a voice called out. He sounded friendly enough so Sharlee replied, "Hello."

Reade's ears tipped to catch the response, a simple hello, muffled slightly as it filtered through the trees to him. Turning toward the sound he made his way toward whoever it might be, a gentle wag in his tail held at a neutral angle to show he meant good will.

She was not far off, a tawny and grey form that blended well with the muted forest hues that surrounded them. But her eyes leaped out from her natural camouflage, vivid and arresting, like bright coals. His hazel gaze met hers for a moment before shifting away to the side, not wishing to seem confrontational.

"Hi there, I didn't realize anyone else was around this area," he began, an easy smile accompanying the words as he came to stand a short distance off, his tail swaying with a little of the uncertainty that accompanied two wolves meeting in the hinterlands. She carried with her the unmistakable scent of others, along with sweet waters and woods. Though he wasn't aware of any pack borders, he didn't intend to march right up to them accidentally either.

The tawny woman couldn't believe that she hadn't ever visited this part of the lore before. Especially since it was so close to the backwater. Sharlee found it to be a quiet place but it didn't seem to have too many opportunities for prey besides the occasional rabbit track. She gave that up though went the scent of something much more interesting caught her attention.

Her search was interrupted by another in the vicinity. As much as she wanted to continue Sharlee wanted to meet whoever this was more. It wasn't too often she had the opportunity to meet others outside the pack so she wasn't about to pass this up.

He came into view shortly after she had greeted him in return. He was definitely a stranger but he seemed friendly. His words even expressed friendliness. "Hi," she greeted again, "I just arrived a little while ago. I was just out hunting. Are you from the lore?" She asked curiously. Maybe he was from a part she hadn't visited yet.

She seemed like she had been looking for something, he thought. Reade wondered if it might have been the cached deer, or perhaps his scent or someone else's, and sniffed the air again with an upward tilt of his muzzle. The woman seemed to assess him before returning his greeting with one of her own. He would not blame her for any caution, though he would not cross any boundaries there were certainly some who'd be feeling defensive of their stash right about now, or worse. In Reade's mind the right thing would be to share what he had.

There did not seem to be anyone or anything else of note at the moment, and he resumed his relaxed manner as she went on. Just arrived, out hunting, amicable answers followed but a question. The lore, the words still sent a thrill through him, just as it had that night he had arrived and spoken with the traveler who confirmed it.

"I just arrived to the lore myself, it was quite a long journey to reach." He smiled at her question, truly curious from the sound of it. "But no, I'm not from here. Some of my kin traveled here years ago and spoke of it, so my sibling and I set out to find it together," Reade left off there for the moment, not wishing to say too much all at once despite his enthusiasm for the conversation. Plus, he was curious about her, and if she knew the lore well.

Sharlee wasn't sure what to make of the strange man though he seemed nice. Thr tawny woman was still cautious though she remained friendly. She wasn't against making new friends after all. It also wasn't far from her mind the conversation she'd had with Viorel a few months ago. The scent that she'd been tracking had been pushed from her mind. Her interest was jow on the man.

The explanation for why she was in this part of the lore was an easy one. It was also probably the most natural as well. She was more curious about what had brought this man to the lore in the first place. Was it a situation such as hers or was it some other reason?

Thankfully she didn't have to drag it out of him. As it turned out he wasn't from the lore which she was finding as a little more common than she thought she would at first. "I'm actually not originally from the lore either," she admitted, "But I've been here two winters now." It was now her home and where she belonged though. The Estuary was her distant past and that was where it would remain. "What happemed to your sibling if you don't mind my asking?" Sharlee went on. It seemed that the man was all alone at least from what she could tell.

Listening with curiosity, Reade's ears perked up as the woman spoke of herself. Reade found her intriguing upon first impression, to say the least. He wondered where she might be from if not here, and by what path she might have arrived. Were her steps guided by the Fates, as his were? He was eager to ask what she knew of the region, too. After all, this was supposed to be a land of wonders unlike any other, if the tales were to be believed. Two winters here, she clearly held experience in living here. Expertise, even.

At her question, his head dipped a moment, shoulders sagging, but he raised his gaze to meet hers in answer. "There was a storm, and we became separated on our journey... after some time searching I had to decide what to do, so I chose to go on alone," he admitted. He still regretted his failure to be a better guide, a better brother, and to ultimately reunite. He did not relish half-victories, or like to leave anything unfinished. But now he could only stand by his choice and hope for the best, that his sibling had turned back toward the safety of home, would find their own way to the Lore in time, or find another way in the world. Would understand his commitment to accomplishing their shared goal.  He regretted it, yes, but he'd also not question the Fates if he was meant to go alone, or if they had other plans for his companions. It was the not knowing that was the hardest to bear. Perhaps, someday.

"So it seems for now, I've arrived with a blank slate so to speak," his tail stirred once more. Without connection or kin, the Quinlan man had never really been alone before. Perhaps it should worry him more, to be so far from his homeland and those who he knew and cared for, but surprisingly, it did not. The nomads would follow the fates, as they always had, and would be safe in that path. As for himself, he felt sure that he would find his way now that he was here, in part or in whole.  

"And what of yourself? Any kin in these lands?" he supposed she had a pack, at least, but he wondered what they were like, what her life here had been like so far.

Sharlee had met plenty of wolves during her time in the lore but none had struck her like this man had. She was curious about him. Where he was from, what his plans were but most importantly did he plan to stay in the lore. She wanted the chance to get to know him better.

He seemed a little sad after she'd asked after his family but he explained what had happened with them. Sharlee could understand being separated from family and the sadness that caused. Many of her own family were still unaccounted for. "Its not easy being separated from family and the decision to move on without them is a hard one to make," she sympathized, "I hope one day you'll see them again." Sharlee felt that in some ways she'd had to make that decision as well since coming to the lore. There had never been a way to know what had happened to her family. Some had shown up but they all seemed to have disappeared again. She was moving in with her life and making something of it because she couldn't just sit stagnet waiting for them to show up again.

"I don't think that is such a bad thing. A lot can be built on a blank slate." She felt this was something she should know. After all she felt she had been in the same place once and now the Valles had a pack again and they were doing well. She was becoming her own wolf instead of what the elders had tried to form her into.

She smiled when he asked about her. "I do, we have a pack not far from here. My cousin is the leader. My brother is there and some of my nieces and nephews." She didn't see any reason to mention her father. She still wasn't sure how she felt about him being in the backwater.