Wild Rye Fields she hid under beds

aw but please let @Mako post first. Special tag for @Jessie

It had taken longer than expected - about four days, actually - because of the heavy snow and frigid weather, but they did manage to get there. Ris didn’t mind the added time, because she was enjoying her time with her new friend. A part of her was kind of hoping he would stick around and maybe even come see Hearthwood with her.

She hopped over a small snow drift and sniffed around, catching a faded border marker under all the snow. A bright smile crossed her maw and she looked over her shoulder at her companion with a wag of her tail. ”It’s he-here!” she chirruped excitedly, and waited only a few moments before tipping her head back and howling for her other family to come see her.

When she was finished, she bounced around in a small circle and patted her paws on the ground, unable to sit still. It had been way too long since she had seen them, and this time was better because she was happy and had a friend with her. Speaking of...

”Thanks for coming wi-with me!” she told Mako, prancing over to bump her forehead against his shoulder. ”It was lots more fun with a f-friend. Sorry it t-took so long to find th-though.” The long travel couldn’t have been nearly as fun for him as for her

(This post was last modified: Jan 25, 2018, 04:50 AM by Risaela.)

Thankfully it didn't take long for the foul weather to clear enough to allow the two young wolves to set off westward. But it still took considerable time to fight their way through the snow and ice. Often the boy pushed himself ahead, breaking trail when the drifts got too deep. It was tiring work, but he didn't mind it as long as it meant Rissy wasn't literally in over her head. After days of travel, Mako was almost surprised the day they made it to the border. It was almost anti-climactic, though Mako couldn't say why he expected anything more. It looked just like any other pack boundary he'd seen, a rather unassuming patch of forest with the tinge of scent that signified this patch of land was claimed. 

Mako shrugged a shoulder at Rissy's apology, "Don't worry about it, not like I had anything better to do." He said as he settled his haunches to the ground and prepared to wait, anticipation and a slight side of nerves bubbling up as he set on a stoic mask.

There is a rabbit's nest nearby. +1 Health

Jessie’s head snapped around and her grin widened. I’ve got you now. There was nothing that cheered the Rye Queen up more than productive work in the form of hunting. The petite woman’s shoulder blades pressed together as her belly barely skimmed the snowy ground, her eyes pinned on the form of the hare in front of her. You should have stayed in hibernation. Before she could pounce, however, a call for the pack came from the borders. Had it been someone she did not know, the Tainn woman might have been annoyed. But this was Risaela, the girl she had taken into her care and had not seen since she had left to go back to Hearthwood months ago. Before the mess and drama that occurred with her borders. The mother’s paws were already taking her towards where Ris’ call originated from, a semi-smile twitching onto her lips. Jessie formed an attachment when the Tainn pup had been under her care for those few weeks. The girl held a certain sense of innocence to her that Jessie wanted to maintain and protect, despite the fact that the world was cruel to the child by taking her only known parent away. When she arrived at the borders, her face broke out into a grin, emerald cold eyes softening as they landed on the girl, who had grown since her last visit, before they slid over to the stranger. The male stranger. The matriarch’s grin disappeared. A muscle in her face twitched, the only indication that she was perturbed by this intruder. Her gaze returned to Risaela again, a small smiling returning to her lips, “Risaela, it’s very good to see you again.” She finally approached the girl, having paused in her assessment of the boy and offered the girl a bump to the cheek in greeting. The mother’s hardened gaze returned to the man, “Please introduce me to our guest.”

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

Risaela rolled her eyes with a small smile at Mako’s easy brushing off of her gratitude. That was a theme with the older wolf, she had come to find. He was actually a really sweet boy - you had to be in order to make a snow path for some scruffy pup you just met and walk with her for four days so she could see her family - but he liked to pretend he was tough and aloof and indifferent. And yet he still allowed her cuddliness when it was time to sleep.

It was the best way to keep warm, okay?

Nevertheless, Ris brushed against his side and stood on tiptoe to bump her nose to his cheek in a sort of physical thanks. She was never good with words in the first place, and though the older kid had never said anything about her weird speech impediments, Ris sometimes preferred to let him have a bit of silence. He was nice enough to sacrifice so much time for her, after all.

Silver ears perked up when the wolf she had been searching for in the first place came up to them. It took all of Risaela’s self control not to bound right across the border and tackle the older woman to the ground and give her all the affection she had missed out on all these months.

The first thing she noted when Jessie approached was that she actually had to look down to focus on the alpha. Moonstone eyes crinkled in a smile and she lowered herself on impulse to bring her head beneath the woman’s. Still, her tail was a blur behind her, and she didn’t step forward until Jessie spoke and pressed her nose to the girl’s cheek. Ris nuzzled into the fur along Jessie’s jaw and stilled at the familiar scent. She loved the Rye wolves’ smells as a whole, but especially Jessie’s.

”I m-missed you so-so mmmuch!” she stammered out, stepping back to get a better look at the woman who had essentially saved her life. Then Jessie asked who Mako was, but her face wasn’t so nice anymore. Instinctually, Ris moved so that she was halfway between the two as a sort of mediator (and to keep Mako from getting stared at so coldly when he had been so kind.) ”This is M-Mako,” the girl explained, her tail swinging rhythmically at her hocks. ”He’s my fr-friend, an’ I like him a lot.” So please don’t chase him off! ”He helped me g-get here! He walked through the sn-snow so I didn’t get b-buried. He’s very nice, Aunt Je-Jessie.”

Hopefully that would at least prevent Jessie from being angry.

Mako whuffed softly as Risaela nudged his cheek, settling in to wait for whoever would come to find them. The male was somewhat amused when he noticed the female that came to see them was somehow even smaller than Rissy, despite being obviously older than her or even Mako himself. He sat quietly, if not somewhat awkwardly as he watched the reunion, wondering whether this was the aunt he'd been told of. He wasn't quite sure what to do with himself, and rather waited for the attention to be turned towards him.

The elder female's reproachful green gaze fell on Mako and the Coho boy found his tongue drying out and sticking to the roof of his mouth. He sat stiffly, obviously uncomfortable and trying not to stare her back in the eye. Luckily Rissy saved him by doing the introduction for him, giving him a chance to coax his throat muscles back into working. Mako bobbed his head the slightest amount as Risaela explained why he ended up here. "I met her a few days ago when she tripped into my den," He explained, unable to help the little smirk at the memory, "She said she was coming out here alone, I thought it was better to have an escort." 

(This post was last modified: Jan 28, 2018, 05:31 AM by Mako.)

A pleased growl resonated in the back of Jessie's throat as they embraced and Risaela's small voice made the Rye Queen feel as if something was finally clicking back into place. As much as she wanted to spend time catching up with the child, the monochrome woman's eyes were set on the young man that accompaned her former charge. Her gaze was broken when Ris stood in between them. Emerald eyes moved to gaze upon her niece, her eyebrows arching at the introduction. She likes him a lot. The woman's frown deepened, turning her gaze back to the yearling. He was certainly older than her and the two had no business traveling around together. He needed to go. And just as Aunt Jessie was about to tell him to do exactly that, Risaela cut in again. For a moment, the Tainn's eyes narrowed on the boy, mulling over what the girl had just said before her eyes shifted into what could have almost been called a look of respect. Despite her own desire to travel alone, Risaela was still only a child and having someone else accompany her was not all that bad of an idea...even if he was a stranger. Mako felt the need to explain further and Jessie had no means of stopping him. Yes, let him be uncomfortable. Her gray tail flicked behind her as she returned her gaze to Risaela, eyes softening, before turning back to look at the newcomer. "I see. Thank you for ensuring that she get here safely. I very much appreciate it." She offered him a nod before turning her attention back to the Tainn - who was now even bigger than her. When her jaws parted, there was no hint of shame when she asked, "What brings you back all the way out here?" While the older woman missed the child, she was certainly not expecting a visit until spring! After all, the snow was hard to get through, as had just been mentioned. Was there something else that brought the child back out to the Fields?

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de