It was true that the young hunter rarely left the territory claimed by the Morningside wolves, but recently with the lack of prey (winter was upon them, after all), he'd been out far more often. Hunting, of course, though he'd encountered a few strangers along the way. What Kieran hadn't expected, however, was the urge that drove his paws to wander further and further, as though he was seeing the outside world for the first time. He just wanted to continue walking. And he did, for quite some time, until the sun began to make its descent down along the horizon - and here he stopped, in the woods. He had been here before, but not for a while.
His emerald gaze swept the landscape, his large ginger form placed neatly on a small rise in the land as he surveyed the area silently. His tail was wrapped neatly around his paws and the boy smiled as he breathed in the air. A puff of frozen air released from the Streiter's nostrils as he inhaled then exhaled, the cold biting at his nose. Despite his strong dislike of winter, he could not deny that it could be rather beautiful. Dangerous, but beautiful.
There was a lot for Wraen to think about lately. Starting with Galaxy's unexpected demise, the war that was brewing outside Moonspear's doorstep, but close enough to be worried about, the wounded guy she had found the other day and atop it all, ways, how to give Korei Julia the self-confidence and encouragement she so desperately lacked. Problem after a problem to solve - she was rather amazed that she cared so much and troubled with this at all. Few months ago you would not find her head-in-the-clouds self anywhere near responsibilities of the pack-life. Now... all she could deduce was that she was growing up.
Still keen on acquairing the scout trade, Wraen had returned to the woods that were closest to Moonspear. It was not as cold as it had been a week earlier and it had not snowed either, yet food was scarce and one had to take extra effort to find something to fill the growling belly. With this in mind, the young wolf followed the various tracks and trails left by the inhabitants of the forest, eventually finding a place, where more than one roe deer had walked. However, she paused, when wind brought the unmistakeable scent of another wolf nearby. Curious - she cast a glance around and soon found the source..
There was another wolf standing atop a small hillock and scanning the area. Wraen turned so to face him and waited for the stranger to notice her.
He was so lost in thought that he did not at first notice the figure moving across the snow, but when they turned Kieran finally snapped to attention and glanced at the stranger. Inhaling the air through his nostrils, he attempted to decipher what he could about this wolf. She seemed to be smaller than himself, but it was hardly surprising - most were, indeed, less large for his age. And she was certainly of similar age. The boy did not recognise her scent either but it appeared she was a pack wolf, though which exactly he could not tell.
Kieran chuffed a greeting, a soft sound that held no hidden malice behind it, assuming she' be able to hear - they were not too far from each other. While he had not been anticipating a conversation with a stranger he figured it couldn't hurt. He didn't often talk to wolves outside of Morningside.
The stranger did not look like he was harboring any ill intentions, just friendly and curious. Therefore Wraen let go of the earlier nervousness and took his quiet greeting as an ecouragment to draw nearer. The fellow was a young wolf just like her, except his size exceeded hers by a great deal. She also noted that he was a good looking fellow - with his unusual brown and gray pelt and the attractive face.
"Hey!" Wraen returned the greeting and mustered up the best smile she had in store. "What a handsome guy like you doing all alone in the forest?"
Kieran blinked in surprise - the words she spoke to him once the distance between them was mostly closed were not quite expected. He halted his movements for a moment, head tilting, but after a second thought he gave a smile in response. The young hunter's ginger tail flicked gently against his hind legs as it wagged slowly. "Hey," He greeted casually, deciding to add "I could ask you the same." But it seemed, for once, he was lacking in the ability to comfortably speak with ease, as he soon widened his eyes. "Uh... that is... I m-mean... you're pretty. Not handsome. Or... Uhhh...." If wolves could blush, he would be blushing. His faltering only caused him more awkwardness and a sheepish grin stretched out across his face.
Kieran giggled at himself, dark emerald eyes focusing once more on the wolfess. She was, indeed, very pretty. "I was just exploring, really. I thought I'd take a break from hunting and check out the area, since I haven't really done that much." Despite having been at Morningside for the majority of his life now, he had not taken the time to look at the surrounding land - or, he had wandered there sometimes to hunt, but he had not really explored it.
Wraen had not expected that her playful response would be cause such a confusion and nervousness in the other party. She regarded him with a curious expression, while the young man sought for the right words, not minding in the least, that she had been deemed "handsome", because it was just the same thing as "beautiful" and "pretty", and genederifying these syonyms were a needless complication. She felt, however a little smug, seeing him struggle and made her wonder, whether she really had been the cause for such a reaction or it had been a mere coincidence.
"A hunter and an explorer - I knew luck was coming my way today. All signs pointed out to it," she replied. "In that case I offer you to join my marauder party - I am hunting for treasure in these woods and a spare pair of ears, eyes and nose are always useful. What do you say... your name is?" she was quick to offer him to join her and only then did she realize that she had not asked for his name and had not given hers either.
Perhaps it was true that the words did not need to be genderified, but the youth had never before seen one used for a different gender - her curious expression told him all he needed to know, and he noted that she was probably refering to his stumbled words.
She offered him a place to join her, 'hunting for treasure'. He wasn't quite sure what exactly she meant but he nodded anyway, ginger ears perking forward atop his head as the smile graced his face. Indeed he was a hunter and an explorer, and it seemed a small adventure was awaiting him. "Sure, I'd be honoured to join you on your quest." After all, it would be fun to get to know somebody else - and he would not lie to himself, she was very much beautiful. Her eyes, too, were intruiging. Not disimilar from his own, except with a more gem-like brightness. "My name is Kieran, what about you?"
"And I am honored to have you, Brave Knight Kieran," Wraen announced in a very official way and offered him a broad smile, which faltered a little, when she remembered that knights and marauding parties did not generally go together. Well, this would be an exception then.
"My name is Lady Wraen... Renevermind," she added the odd family name she had acquaired by accident, when getting acquainted with a wolf-dog. If you did not delve too deep in the meaning of it, it did have a very nice sound to it.
"Let's go that way!" she told him, steering in the opposite direction of the spooky place, where she had run into the guy with the marred face few days earlier. If he had stayed there, she did not want his appearance to scare the companion and spoil her fun. "And while we walk, tell me, what experience do you have in the treasure hunting business."
He grinned at her, tail swaying gently behind him as they walked side by side. It was good to have company. New company, that was - it was always nice to see a face he had never before seen, and perhaps make another friend. Not to say he got bored of the faces back home, but it was fun to get away for a while and meet a new wolf. Especially one who was as pretty as Wraen.
"Pleasure to meet you," Kieran replied, a sparkle in his eye. This quest, the hunt for treasure, sounded like it would be quite enjoyable. "I'm afraid I don't have much experience - guess it's up to you to teach me." The ginger-hued boy shrugged, handsome grin remaining upon his face as he gazed at her.
"Really?" Wraen was shocked to hear that Kieran had never done treasure-hunting. That there was a kid in the whole world, who had never hunted for treasure was a scandal, an outrage! And yet there were and they seemed to be oblivious to that one important thing they had missed out during the childhood. Better late than never - Wraen would teach him the best she could.
"This might take a while though," she told him not to get his hopes up too high, because any kind of hunting was a serious business that required patience, determination and pinch of madness as well. "Any dragon fighting experience, maybe?"
"Afraid it's the truth. Though... I have done a great deal of travelling in my time." He flashed her a grin, however he knew the constant moving and shifting homes had not been choice of his own. Despite this, Kieran knew it had not been his fathers fault either, and no part of him blamed the older man.
"I'm good at being patient." The young hunter confirmed, nodding his head affirmatively to the wolfess beside him as they continued to walk. When the idea of dragon hunting came around, he found himself slightly confused - what on earth was a dragon? Why had he never heard of it? Assuming, by the way she spoke, it was something that wolves fought, he nodded again and quirked his lips into a smile with no hint of his inner confusion present. "Of course!"
"You speak like an old man," Wraen teased Kieran, when he mentioned traveling
"in his own time". He did not look much older than her, therefore - even if he had seen something of the world - his time was not over yet. Could it really be that after getting taste of, what it was like out in the wilds, he decided never to leave his packlands?
"What about being quick to react?" she stopped suddenly and scrutinized his face for a while, then bumped her hip against his in a sudden move and dashed in full speed ahead of him. There she stopped, looked him briefly in the eyes and invited to follow her and show, how fast he was. Without waiting for him to respond, she began to run.
They played the game for a while and then their paths parted.
Concluding some of the older threads.