Cedarwood Forest Were you born in water?

The snow had been falling lazily all morning, but by the time Atiris found herself deep within the Cedarwood Forest, the snow had become quite a bit heavier and it fell sideways, carried on a strong current of wind. The snowflakes were smaller and were quite sticky; it would amount to a good deal of snow by the time the storm passed, though by the look of things it would be some time before that happened. She could only see so far in each direction; everything else was clouded by the falling snow. The temperature was not terribly low, but it was the wind that created the chill and Atiris, who did not particularly enjoy the thought of being buried by snow or disoriented by the winds, had found herself a small nook where she decided to wait the storm out.

The cedar tree had been an almighty one, though its verdant foliage had long since turned orange though still attached to the boughs. The bark was torn in places, and the ropey stuff was tossed about on the wind like streamers where it was still attached to the tree. It had fallen over before the snow had come- likely in a late fall storm- as had the tree beside it and both trees, side by side, lifted slightly off the ground, created a lean-to which faced the perfect direction; the winds coasted over the tree trunks and missed Atiris completely as she sat in the shelter. Every now and again she rustled around, digging out some of the snow that happened to drift up outside her shelter, but for the present, it was the perfect place to stay, keep warm and safe.

You get my 200th post! :D -parties-

It was just his luck that in one of the furthest places he could be from home in Relic Lore he was in when a storm hit. Not just any storm either — a snow storm so strong he could barely see 5 paces in front of him. His breath left his muzzle in visible streams of mist and however much he shook his fur fresh snow soon laid upon him and clung tight, turning his dark fur a speckled white and he soon gave up. As well as he knew this forest without his eyes or nose to guide him he did not know which way to turn to reach home and the safety of his pack. He only hoped that his family, the pups especially, were not caught out in it too. Shelter it would have to be then, and with a determined sigh Indru started to run through the forest eyes searching for something that could help keep the snow of him until the storm had got rid of its anger.

Soon, thankfully, two fallen trees caught his eye and he made a beeline for them, missing the verdant colours of the forest and resenting the white that now covered the trees and ground. Indru reached it and sniffed lightly, pleased to find that it was facing the right direction to break the wind, but found a fresh scent coming from within it. Hello? He asked, making his voice louder so that it wasn't carried away by the howling wind. It felt dangerous to just proceed without waiting for his response but the cold wind was making him shiver and the snow was clinging uncomfortably to his face. Growling lightly under his breath Indru stepped forward, tense, and slipped under the trees. I'm Indru Tainn... The storm, I need shelter. Hopefully the wolf he could smell, a female and of the mountain pack he could now tell, would not be to unreasonable. Can I stay here?

<i>-loves-</i>

Atiris paced about the enclosure every now and again, scuffling at the snow that was swept in and as she passed by the entrance every now and again she stopped to gaze out, to see how the storm was holding up and if it showed any signs of letting go. Thus far, it did not, and she was getting used to looking out, only to see a blurred pannel of white. It was fairly dark because of the snow, though she knew that it would still be afternoon. The skies would not darken considerably for several more hours and even then, Atiris did not particularly mind. As long as she could see to find her way home without having to wade through the snow and fight the wind, she could put up with the darkness.

She passed by the entrance again and glanced out, stopping as she saw something new amidst the snow. A figure, and at first she wasn't sure if it was a stump or something she'd missed before, so she kept pacing. When she passed by again she could still see it, but it was closer. She hesitated at the entrance to the makeshift shelter then and watched, squinting to get a better look at whatever it was only to see that it was another wolf. Atiris' ears flicked back when she realized that the wolf was heading in this direction, and despite the amount of snow that had been caught up in his fur, she was quite sure that she did not recognize him.

Closer he came and Atiris moved away from the entrance, hoping that he might not see her, and pass by the shelter completely...Instead, he seemed to think that it would suit him and she heard the crunch of snow beneath his paws as he came close. His shadow fell within the lean-to and she heard the sharp intake of breath, followed by a greeting that punctuated the air. "Hello-allo," Atiris greeted, sitting down. Her bold gaze was trained on the entrance, hoping that maybe her voice would be enough to ward him off, though she didn't sound gruff or angry.

He growled softly as he stepped in and quickly introduced himself. Her ears perked and slid back, unsure what to make of this. This was a member of other pack, a pack that Atiris knew very little about. "So long as you're fine with sharing, and not kickin' me out into that mess, you're welcome to stay," She said with a gritty smile. "I'm Atiris, from the Plateau." She said.

-loves more!-

The response he heard shouted back from the darkness made him laugh deeply and he shook his head, unsure whether she could see him or not. Of course not, he reassured, his voice still sounding amused as he still chuckled lightly, I wouldn't dream of it. Hoping his confirmation would bid him a friendly entrance (he didn't much fancy a scuffle in this weather, after all) be stepped in, immediately shaking his fur to try and rid it off the snow that was bound to melt and eventually make him dangerously wet and cold. He realised then he had made a mess and sheepishly laughed under his breath again, stepping forward and scooting his feet backwards and kicking it out behind him. I'm from the pack near the Swift River, he replied in response to her offer of hers (not that he couldn't tell already).

Once settled Indru stepped into the shelter further, surprised and pleased at how large and effective it was, and peered into the darkness with his bright, orange eyes. So, he began, stepping closer again but keeping his movements slow and steady to reassure her he meant no harm even if he was large, male and covered in snow like a yeti at the moment. What brought a wolf from the mountain end up all the way over here? Speaking of the pack felt strange to Indru as it always brought back flashes of its original founder, Honijo Ithil, his uncle and father figure, who was currently missing. Though I bet you'd rather be here than on a mountain during a storm like this, he joked, the idea of walking around Mountain of Dire unable to see much in front of you was not the most appealing thought.

He scoffed at the idea of kicking her out and Atiris decided that he had to have at least a lick of a sense of humour and without missing a beat she added a small threat. "Good. 'Cause I'd kick your sorry tail all the way to Timbuktu if you tried." She said with a toothy, wolfish grin. Sure, she was smaller than him. Sure, she'd probably hurt herself a lot more than she'd ever be able to hurt him in the process of kicking his tail all the way to Timbuktu- but the threat was too irresistible, she wasn't being incredibly serious and the word "Timbuktu" was way too much fun to pass up. She simply assumed he'd know enough to not take her entirely serious.

She leaned back as he shook some of the snow off his pelt and sniffed lightly, though she was pleased to see that he realized the mess he had made and cleaned it up without being asked. That was an improvement, she thought; a male who could clean up after himself without being nagged about it. She wasn't terribly intimidated by him and they had both made it clear that while they were of different packs, their homeland really meant nothing when it came to how civilized their conversation could be. Atiris, on the best of days, was not a very civilized young lady but she had yet to find that changing her personality proved to be a better alternative.

"Avalanche. Rode it down the mountainside and it plopped me right here in the middle of the woods!" She responded in a heartbeat. She snickered at his comment and beat her tail on the ground twice. "Nah, I'm full of bullshit. Came out for a hunt; when I left it wasn't nearly this bad." She admitted. "I don't suppose you were looking to turn yourself into the abominable snowwolf, were you?" She asked, and grinned. He was still quite wet, and had some snow left melting on his fur. "Or do you go out in storms hoping to find a pretty young lass, incapacitated by the storm and in need of rescue?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Though Indru did not know where Timbuktu was he caught the sentiment behind the joke and laughed with her, even if it was meant as a threat it was not one that worried him, especially not in these cramped, cold conditions. He snorted at her explanation of her arrival, unsurprisingly not believing it for a second, and shook his head, a smile on his face. She corrected herself soon enough and this one he had no reason not to believe, it was well known hunting was not as easy up in the mountains, especially during winter. Another reason he was pleased with the location he had picked for Swift River so long ago.

Why? Indru asked, a smirk on his face, when she question him, you can't say the look didn't suit me, he teased, chuckling lightly under his breath. A small shiver caused him to shake his fur and he frowned as he peered over his shoulder at himself, he felt soaked through (though he knew it was not quite that bad) and it wasn't helping him keep warm. Indru shuffled closer into the shelter, their camaraderie making him hopeful that she wouldn't mind a further intrusion by him, it was just so invitingly warm deeper into the cave. Oh, yes of course, it's my daily goal. To save one damsel in distress before the sun sets behind the mountain. Another smile was flashed handsomely in her direction before he gave up and laughed again, tail brushing along the floor playfully. Though I am yet to find one who needs such help, he smiled, winking at her, as after all it had been he who had invaded her shelter after all. It seemed that she had been the one to save the wolf in distress.

Atiris scrunched her nose and snorted when he commented about his look. He was lucky that he was a relatively large wolf and had good musculature under his pelt, otherwise he might have adopted that wet, drowned rat look. As it was, though, Indru seemed to have good muscle tone and even while his fur was wet and sticking to him, he looked nothing like a half-starved creature who used their pelt to hide all sorts of sins. He was a natural looker, and while Atiris had noticed, she was damned if she was going to say anything serious about it. She left the snort and wrinkled nose answer for her.

He tried to work his charm on her and she cackled; Atiris was more than immune to the flash of pearly teeth, the use of bedroom eyes and, of course, the look otherwise known as 'the smoulder.' She nodded toward the storm outside. "Yeah well good luck seeing the sun set today," She remarked, knowing that the night would likely pass before the snowing stopped enough for the clouds to clear. "You gonna keep looking anyway or am I good enough?" She asked cheekily.

At her comment his brow creased in worry, the thought had crossed his mind but when it was spoken aloud by someone else it made it seem more of a threat. I hope not, a sigh broke his cheery mood and he frowned as he thought about it. I have pups to look after, back at the pack. Indru knew that they had other siblings, had other pack mates too, but he felt responsible for them all the same. Besides, how did he know that their potential guardians weren't caught out in this storm as well? Or worse, they were. Ruiko might not worry thinking that they were with him, but Indru knew how inquisitive and up to mischief they were, Borlla especially. Not mine, he clarified when he realised how his statement looked, my youngest siblings... Though they feel like mine, he laughed lightly, the sorrow in it was clear. Indru didn't mind looking after them — he adored them — but he often had worries that he was not living up to the standard they deserved, that he had with his parents.

Her next question distracted him and he smiled weakly, trying not to dampen the mood, all she needed was a killjoy to invade her shelter from the storm. You don't look much in need of help to me, he suggested, head titled to the side as he watched her curiously. She was small, but she looked and sounded capable to looking after herself, especially as she wasn't scared of a big, snow-covered male invading her space. You found this place first after all, though whether that was luck or knowledge he didn't know. Do you need help?

One of Atiris' cinnamon ears flicked back when he mentioned pups. For some reason, she felt obliged to be more respectful toward wolves who had pups- as though using civilized language around them would make her a better person. It would also indicate that she wouldn't swear or act vulgar around the pups, but all the same, she felt as though she had to act more grown-up when she was around someone who had kids, whether or not they were present. Of course, her first assumption was that Indru was referring to his own children- but he hurriedly explained that they were his younger siblings and Atiris' mouth opened and she nodded knowingly.

"I know whatcha mean." She said with a toothy grin. Since they were his siblings, she didn't feel obligated to act mature anymore. "My parents had three pups the year after I was born. Then a dying female showed up on our pack borders with two young ones of her own that we adopted." She said. The female had died shortly thereafter, but the pups had been nursed right alongside Atiris' blood siblings. "The place was like a jungle gym all the time," She snickered affectionately. Her tone softened, though; Indru did not seem terribly pleased that his siblings were his charge- to Atiris, this indicated one thing- that his parents were either gone or dead. "They grow up somethin' fast, though," She said, her voice calmer. "Before you know it they'll be whipin' the drool off your chin and making sure you don't piddle in your bed." The cure for anything, in Atiris' mind, was humour.

He commented on her independence and Atiris rolled one of her shoulders. "I could always use some help." She said, turning to face him. "I'm bored. Amuse me." She coaxed, flicking her ears forward.

The female had a way about her that amused Indru greatly, she had no qualms over what she said or did and it was refreshing for him. It was a change that he enjoyed and that gave him the feeling this storm would be an eventful one even if he was not outside. Her quick story would have been told by most in sorrow but even then she managed to make it end on a joyful note and Indru laughed, knowing all too well what she meant. He had been of the first litter born to his parents and had witnessed the many below him, first as a yearling charged with watching the youngest whether you wanted to or not, and then as an adult where it was amusing and refreshing to watch other's grow when you had done your own. Oh, tell me about it, Indru agreed, a nostalgic grin marking his muzzle, I have seen many younger siblings raised, and with the health of their pack the litter's had been strong too. Unlike the hassle or annoyance it would have been to most Indru had enjoyed it, the pups allowing him to relax when conflicts with Ruiko got too high.

Atiris's request put him on the spot and he stared at her wide eyed for a moment, unsure what to do at this demand. Amuse her? Um... Ghost stories? He laughed awkwardly, peering behind him back out to the cold with a faint longing, trying to inspire himself. Snow wolves? He questioned with a smirk on his face and a dare in his eyes at the thought of going outside and rolling around in the freezing, wet snow. You're the one most crazy of the two of us, he smiled to show he meant no offence and that it was in good jest, so what are your ideas?