Sex: FemaleI’m Back Between Villages
As the weather began to warm slowly, the loner was also beginning to travel further from her makeshift home in the meadow. It was still winter and things weren’t melting quite yet but the days of the severe deep freezes seemed to be behind them. Unfortunately that also seemed to mean a lot more snow and ice coming down, but at least the days had become more pleasant. That also meant that prey was slowly beginning to become more plentiful as rodents woke from their hibernation.
Marrah had been fairing well enough on her own. She wasn’t starving, but she was lonely, and had some of the physical displays of a loner. She had lost a few pounds, and her pelt had lost some of its shine, but she was doing okay. That alone was a small miracle given she had left home shortly after her first birthday and had always had a supportive pack beforehand. Still, the loneliness was beginning to become worse than any physical ailments and she was beginning to doubt her decision.
She missed her sister-friend, and her aunt and Adelard. She missed spending the cold nights curled up with everyone and always having full caches to eat from. But, that was all behind her now and she needed to keep moving. She walked amongst the bleached dead trees of the marsh, on a day overcast and grey, a shadow of the wolf she had once been.
And Everything's Still
And though he'd like to loop back west, into the cradling arms of the Daybreak Peaks and the rivers and islands there, he's a bit hesitant to. What if the other wolf he'd tussled with had survived?
Malien didn't fancy his chances if he were outnumbered.
So he stays away. Pretends it is because he is content to explore the immediate surroundings here, but, really, it's just cowardice.
He had cut north through the willows, out onto another open expanse, wandering towards the treeline. Snow stretched, pristine and pale, towards the distant horizon in the back and the darkened trees up ahead: a blanket, covering what else might be here.
Curiously, the closer he gets to the trees, the more old, bleached tree trunks poke out of the snow, like gnarled finger-bones. He hadn't seen them from afar, only the looming darkness of the forest up ahead. He wanders among those pale and dead remnants, finding the day quite drab and dreary and the place not exactly appealing. Huffing out a sigh he suddenly stops dead in his tracks, because- right there under his nose are other tracks. Fresh, too. Slowly, he steps in a circle around himself until he faces the direction they had gone, and upon the crust of snow picks up a fairly easy jog to catch up to them.
Why?
He's not sure. He just kind of trots along until a mostly black blot of a wolf shows up on his radar. "Hullo," he barks in greeting from somewhere behind her.
I’m Back Between Villages
The yearling turned when someone barked a greeting, curious as to who would be calling for her. It seemed like it had been months with almost no contact and now the area was crawling with strangers who were hanging around. And for pete’s sake another pale wolf, it was like the universe was screaming at her that she needed to find a way to find Enera. She really didn’t want to go back to the Chasm, but maybe that was going to be her best bet.
Blinking at the man she nodded vaguely, ”Oh. Hi.” She nodded again, a little awkwardly. She wasn’t really sure what else to say, and she had never been very good in social situations. What is it that most wolves usually talked about when they met strangers in the woods? She wasn't even sure she wanted to talk to him, but he had approached her. Marrah looked at him expectantly.
And Everything’s Still
Awkward levels are high. Concern levels are unexpected. Now that he's up close.. she doesn't look all that great. Young, for sure, but skinny-seeming even with her thick winter coat, which seems more lackluster than it should. She's not looking like she'll keel over and die, but definitely like she's fallen on harder times. Down on her luck. That kind of thing.
Does he care? No.
He tilts his head somewhat to the side, considering her. "Are you alright?" Dumb question, but between her physical state and how she seemed almost.. confused? By his presence? This, at least, was a way for her to either tell him if she needed help, or to tell him to shove off.
I’m Back Between Villages
The man seemed to be almost studying her, looking closely at her and tilting his head before asking if she was okay. Throughout the whole time the yearling was worrying her cheek, wondering what was so wrong with her appearance that would earn such close scrutiny. Nodding quickly she responded, ”Yeah, I’m okay.” Then after a second of thinking she asked because she couldn’t help herself, ”Why? Are you okay?” Was there a reason she shouldn’t be okay?
Paranoia set in for a moment and she tore her eyes away to look around the area. Maybe he had seen a predator or some other environmental threat that she had missed somehow. Heart rate quickened for just a minute until she realized that everything seemed to be in order and there was nothing about to jump out and get her. Marrah’s amber eyes looked back to the man, he seemed alright too, no injuries or anything.
This was the point when she looked down at her own paws. Maybe if she had something to look at her own reflection she would realize she looked a little disheveled, that loner life was catching up to her, but she had no way of knowing. This whole interaction was making her feel self conscious.
And Everything’s Still
He doesn't quite understand it, but figures if he wants anything positive out of this he'll have to be a bit careful, or at the very least, non-judgmental. Then again, not everyone responds well to facts either, if they're facts they don't want to hear...
"I'm alright," he finally says. It felt like years, but had just been seconds. Sure, he's in that weird stage of missing/giddy about Artyom, but with the way that's been eclipsing his attention..getting to focus on something else might be a nice break. "You're young, and look a bit thin, that's all. Left your pack?" His head tilts a little to the side, and he hopes that what he conveys is just- curiosity? That he doesn't mean to offend? A little bit of friendly concern?
I’m Back Between Villages
The silence that stretched out for only a few seconds left the Maceio-Tainn feeling more uncomfortable. She was only somewhat eased when the man told her that he was alright, but then he turned his attention back on her asking more questions. What was with that? It was a little annoying but she had no assumption that he was asking for any kind of malicious reasons. Marrah didn’t have enough life experience to assume that someone would be like that to a stranger.
All of his observations were correct and the dark teen nodded somewhat sullenly. She didn’t answer right away, and when she did her voice embodied the feeling of a long sigh, ”I left them in the spring.” That was when she truly looked at the man, who despite clearly not belonging to a pack did not appear to be suffering from it, ”Have you been alone long?” Maybe he had some tips or tricks he could share with her, make things a little bit easier. Maybe she didn’t deserve for everything to get a little bit easier, this loneliness was meant to be a self-inflicted punishment after all.
And Everything’s Still