Grizzly Hollow open up your eager eyes

January 8th; Late afternoon; Broken Clouds; -0.4 ° F, -18 ° C.

The bears were asleep in their dens and the evergreen forests of the known western reaches of Relic Lore were quiet. Winter's middle month, so far, had treated Adelard kindly with its mild winter storms and decent weather. He had already traveled further than he had ever gone before; his homelands in the north were now several days and nights away by a 'traveler's lope.' The boughs above him shivered and creaked. A sign that something was coming...

Adelard's large and heavy paws crunched underfoot as he stepped along between the cedars. The evenings and late nights would be cold if even the softest powder froze here. His golden eyes surveyed the land as he went, never resting on anything long enough as to be accused of staring. If there had ever been a pack here before, all its history tucked away beneath the thick blanket of snow, all traces of it were surely going to be gone by the spring thaw.

After some time, his slow, meandering walk came to a halt. He was nowhere in particular - no significant landmark in sight. Just flaking, red-barked trees as far as the eye could see. Just for kicks and at tail wag, he pressed his right paw's pads against a random trunk. A calling card of sorts just to let anyone know that he had been there, even if only for the briefest of moments. Planting his paw back into the snow, he decided to test his luck and a string of inquisitive barks echoed out, muffled against the pines. Hello? Is anyone out there? Perhaps, if he was lucky, he'd have the woods to himself a whole while longer, but if anything was to be told about Adelard Gerau, it was that he did not believe in luck...

(This post was last modified: Jan 09, 2021, 10:55 PM by Adelard.)

heat stroke, bring the fire
ADELARD GERAU
black smoke, I take it higher

And there's an old man sitting on the throne

Pain had driven her from home and fear had kept her out. What else was she to do but run as far as her paws could take her when she had her best friend’s blood on her maw and the memory of her father’s death looming in her mind. She was certain her mother had followed soon after, a soft shudder down her spine as she found herself trekking through an unfamiliar forest, her paws weary from the constant travel that had befallen her. She’d been raised to stay close to home, the perfect Princessa… so what was she supposed to do now that her entire life had crumbled due to a single coup?

She wasn’t sure, but she had time to figure it out. It was the scent that first gave her direction. He was downwind of her, and she caught the thick laden scent amongst the trees, curiosity getting the better of her as she approached, copper eye looking for the owner of the scent, looking for information, any information she might be able to get… it would be all the more helpful. Perhaps she should have been more cautious. Perhaps it was a trap in order to silence the last Ravyne.

Either way, she seemed to be keen to find out. It was the barks she heard next, the calls out to anyone and everyone, and so she returned it. Hello. I’m out here. She posed, moving faster towards the call… and then she saw him. It was then that she encountered the towering man, orbs hesitant as she made her approach. “Are you the one who called out?” She asked, keeping a respectful distance as she settled in her paws, resting on her rump as her head tilted to the side. “I am newer to these lands… do you know much about them?”

that's saying that i probably shouldn't be so mean

Just when he thought his call was to go, yet again, unanswered, it seemingly echoed back.

Hello. I’m out here.

Almost offended, Adelard's hackles bristled, and he took a step back right before he heard the sound of her approach. His shoulders squared and locked; and, stiffly, his neck turned until he had to fully reorient himself toward the way he had come. She caught his eye, confident but respectful... curious but obviously wanting to uphold a conversation. She sat and his ears came forward in an attentive manner.

She then told him she was new and, to that kind of conversation opener, Adelard could only reply, "Well, yeahhh..." His tone was almost sarcastic. For nearly half a moon cycle, there was nothing in the wilderness that answered him back like this one had. "And, I'm just as lost as you. Never been here before."

His eyes raked over her now, instead of darting from one physical feature to the next. He eventually settled on her face and the dark markings that framed the curve behind her jaw. He remained standing, still too stiff and too exasperated with his own company, "What do you mean...them? Who?"

heat stroke, bring the fire
ADELARD GERAU
black smoke, I take it higher

And there's an old man sitting on the throne

She noticed the way the tension hummed in his body right away, confusion present on her features. He was the one who called out, and yet his approach was so unwelcoming. It felt like a paradox to her. Her words seemed to garner his attention at least, listening to his tart answer though she schooled her face and did not let her emotions show. She hid the shock as she had been trained to do as a diplomat. That was unfortunate. She had been hoping for some insight. “My name is Rhaegara.” She introduced softly, doing her best to remain as calm, respectful, and nonconfrontational as possible. She kept her seat. She relaxed her shoulders to eliminate what little tension had remained in her body and her tail slowly swayed from side to side across the snow in a lazy manner.

Still, he looked her over and there was a sense of dread down her spine. She felt as if she were on trial, and perhaps she should be, but not by some stranger in the middle of some random woods months travel from her home. It was all too much. The question came and her brow furrowed in confusion. “Them as in these woods, the areas surrounding the woods, if there are any wolves that live here, or packs nearby or if this place is as much of a ghost town as it seems.” She clarified quickly, wondering if perhaps she had misspoken before instead. Perhaps she had made a mistake seeking him out, though she could not fathom what she had done to cause such a reaction. Perhaps it wasn’t about her at all… hell, she didn’t know.

that's saying that i probably shouldn't be so mean

A warren of rabbits is hidden under a nearby tree. +3 Health

"My name is Rhaegara." Her voice was cool, perhaps even more collected than he had anticipated. Most creatures he had encountered during his travels turned and fled in his wake. Other wolves, like-minded nomads especially, even paid him no mind. This one, though... well, she reminded him so much of his younger sister. Perhaps, she was worth entertaining. She had answered his call after all.

His own whiskered brows crinkled, his eyes narrowing as he began to comprehend what exactly she was saying. Then it occurred to him. He overshot. Adelard's whole face flushed with heat beneath his fur. Not even the winter chill could cool him down.

"Oh," he lamely scoffed, trying to play off his embarrassment. "Well..." Hmm. He had to reel himself back in, giving his head a brief shake as if it would take back exactly what he had first said. "No... I don't. I haven't seen or heard or scented anyone about for days now." He had to unstick his tongue from the top of his mouth, "I'm Adelard, though I guess you can call me clueless." A laugh sputtered from his lips as his tail wagged; he supposed he wasn't that funny or charming, but, boy, did his social skills take a dive in the months he had been on his own.

"I don't..." he still smiled, his posture and body language softening at last into a more welcoming stance. His shoulders were more at ease and he was no longer tilted forward enough to intimidate. "I don't know anything. Would be nice to settle in these parts if you ask me. The tall trees break the winds and soften the snowfall; trade in possibility of bear dens for deer thickets and I'd say the resources are good. Surprised no one's staked claim here."

heat stroke, bring the fire
ADELARD GERAU
black smoke, I take it higher

And there's an old man sitting on the throne

She had been desperate for some kind of social interaction that was decidedly not bad. She could handle a negative encounter, but she would prefer anything but. He seemed to entertain her presence, recognizing the mistake he had made in interpreting her words though she did not worry about it. He brushed it off and she just smiled, though it quickly faded to a frown. He also had not seen anyone? Never before had she gone so long without any contact with her species, and she was starting to wonder if this was some kind of afterlife… if she had actually died in the coup and had been left to wander this abandoned wilderness as a punishment for some kind of crime she didn’t even know she committed.

She chuckled softly at his words. “It is nice to meet you Adelard.” She greeted cheerfully before continuing. “I have a habit of mumbling… my mother and father used to scold me about it all the time… it was probably on me. I could have used more precise language.” She said those words if only to make the other wolf feel better. He seemed nice, even if their interaction had lasted all of five seconds. It was the truth though, she had been vague in her statement and just assumed he would know what she was talking about.

His stance relaxed and it brought a sense of relief around her. He admitted he didn’t know anything and she was frowning, looking around. “I’m surprised as well… perhaps these lands are untouched? Perhaps we are the first of our kind here?” She wondered as she looked around further. He was right of course, this would be a nice place to settle, but settling required wolves to settle with. “Or perhaps there’s some dark and sinister reason these lands remain unclaimed?” The possibilities were truly endless.

that's saying that i probably shouldn't be so mean

He gave her an acknowledging nod despite all the frowning. He might have shared the sentiment if he had either been younger (his yearling siblings and the siblings before them had taught him a thing or several about patience) or simply irked about being unable to find a pack to fit into. As a Gerau, he was naturally inclined to seek out the life of a pack wolf and a suitable rank to drive him further. To give him purpose. As it was, the vagrant's lifestyle was starting to wear on him, which made this little encounter much more pleasant than it might have really been if he had been on his family's stomping grounds. He was no longer apart of a grand phalanx, but his own personal bodyguard and keeper.

"Maybe," he lent as Rhaegara glanced about, the timbre in his voice warming now that his vocal chords were being properly used.

"Or perhaps there’s some dark and sinister reason these lands remain unclaimed?" she added. Adelard's head thoughtfully canted to one side now. While he was not one for superstition, he couldn't help but quickly wonder. Almost immediately his head righted and, in his mind, he chuckled to himself. "Perhaps, but I highly doubt that." Here, he managed to take a couple steps closer to where she sat. A genial gesture, one that confirmed his more amiable nature (apparently it didn't take much these days to make him lower his guard).

"If it's not too nosy to ask... are you out on your own?" he asked, "Are you traveling with anyone?"

(This post was last modified: Feb 04, 2021, 02:28 AM by Adelard.)

heat stroke, bring the fire
ADELARD GERAU
black smoke, I take it higher

And there's an old man sitting on the throne

The path of least resistance was usually the way. She knew that… granted, there were certainly times where resistance was necessary, but being on her own meant she could not often afford to take such liberties. The last thing she needed was an injury that would prevent her from hunting… so if she thought something could help make a situation more amicable, then she would certainly use it. His voice sounded warmer when it spoke, allowing a soft smile to form on her maw in turn. She waited patiently for his answer, and she nodded along with it. It did seem a little out there. Surely if there were something dark and sinister, then it would still be there to chase them away.

The question came, and she tilted her head slightly to one side in curiosity. “It’s not nosy at all.” She insisted softly. “I regretfully am not. I feel in these winter months I should be… but it’s not the paw I was dealt when I was uprooted from my life.” She hadn’t had much of a say in heading out on her own, and as a result she’d had no one to accompany her. Her siblings, like her, had scattered like horsemen on the wind. “Are you?” She didn’t think she had smelled anyone else in the woods, and felt it was rather obvious given how he had previously stated he hadn’t heard or scented anyone in days… but she also figured he might exclude a travelling partner.

that's saying that i probably shouldn't be so mean

(This post was last modified: Jan 12, 2021, 07:02 AM by Rhaegara.)

To hear that he wasn't being nosy or intrusive was a relief, and he inwardly let out a sigh. Rhaegara was not accompanied by anyone and, on top of that, she had been displaced from everything that was familiar to her. Upon hearing this, Adelard's eyes softened, his gaze no longer scouring her every tuft and guard hair. He was momentarily teleported back to the night when he had kissed his twin sister's crown as she slept. He probably should have offered for her to come along, but this nomad nonsense he was living through right now was a way of life he did not want for her.

He shook his head, his whole presence seemingly come back into focus as he gave her a wistful smile, "No." A stocky paw rose from where it had been planted in the snow and then came back down with a soft crunch. "I could have, but chose not to." There was something solemn in his tone but it fell away as he turned to glance out into the still sun-kissed glades. "You headed east?"

heat stroke, bring the fire
ADELARD GERAU
black smoke, I take it higher