Swiftcurrent Creek Old Habits

Setting this after his joining thread with Fox and Lethe. He is going for Gamekeeper for now, but might switch to Warden when winter ends.

Snow crunched beneath the weight of the man's heavy steps, his strides a little less rigid in their efforts, but no less insistent. With winter rolling across the land, he was thankful to have been brought in to the fold here at Swiftcurrent Creek; Njal could find things to occupy his time and his mind now, instead of the constant wandering, the perpetual wondering which had worn down his spirit until this point.

His path led him along the territory's most vital of resources, the river. He had left behind his sleeping nook beneath the trees and taken to patrolling the water's edge, keeping his sights set upon the fish beneath the surface. While the winters here were mild, they were still dangerous. Njal had observed the river for the first few hours and noticed the ice that had already solidified upon the surface; it was on the edges, and he could not tell how thick it was in some places. Perhaps fishing at this time was a more dangerous adventure at this point than he initially thought.

Njal turned to survey the flat lands around him, which cut a stark white path across the horizon; trees were coated in it, some more than others, and the sky was filled with a dimly lit grey. It was quiet, peaceful, but the man was left with his thoughts and that just wouldn't do at all.

She sulked along the edges of the creek – her creamy paws sinking through the frozen ground of snow, her sharp eyes watching the weave of the waters as it trickled along, so very close to being completely frozen. Her breath unfurled from her muzzle in puffs of wispy vapor, rising to the grey sky and curling to nothingness. While the silence was welcome, it also did not do well for her thoughts as she dwelled.

She had spent hours searching for a small body of still water to use for scrying – she wished nothing more than to see the will of her gods revealed to her as she had once been able to, but winter was unfriendly to her, offering her neither insight or sway on the matter. Instead she was left with her doubts, and while establishing a new home and growing the ‘family’ of the Creek, that did not mean she could trust any of them.

Her eyes would lift then as the winter breeze swept past. The shift of her golden fur stung as the cold hit her skin, but she would not flinch. A creature of survival, Lethe had lived many different lives for one so young.

Quickening her pace, the she-wolf made her way to Njal’s side, unfamiliar with the male but familiar with his scent. He had graced these lands since the beginning of the pack’s rise, and for that alone, he was precious to her. She did not speak – instead, her figure would lift in a natural dominance, her muzzle reaching out to nip him upon the cheek in a gesture of friendly welcome.

As far as his duties were concerned, Njal had been slacking. It was becoming difficult for him to find a niche and a true goal, with his mind on so many other things. He was thoughtful was he watched the grey sky. Thoughtful, and a bit hollow feeling. Njal was missing something and he knew what it was - but a part of him was resistant. He had discovered Proudheart in a land not far from here, he had witnessed her existence, and instead of going to her, he had fled. The man imagined that he had even heard her voice - but at that distance, he assumed it had just been his imagination.

The man puffed a breath, which turned grey and dim as it entered the air, and took it's place within the sky; dissipating as a soft breeze penetrated it. Njal's eyes drifted to the chilled water just as the sounds of crushing snow reached him; he did not raise his head or turn, although his ears were eager to gather what sounds they could, and he waited for the stranger to call out. They did not, which prompted him to finally turn and regard the individual with a stern gaze; but Njal's expression melted when he realized it was the Alpha herself - raising her head in dominance, which he was quick to submit to.

Njal felt the soft nip of her teeth against his cheek, and instinctively reached to administer a touch of his nose to her own; sliding it's wet and chilled surface along her jaw line, while his ears and tail flattened for a brief spell of time. When he returned to looking out at the river, Njal couldn't stop the occasional glimpses towards the leading lady; he didn't know if she wanted him to speak, or to act, or to simply be still. Perhaps he should get to work on fishing - but he was tentative, which was unlike him. Nervous of the water, with his thoughts a muddy mess of other things.

Finally, when nothing was said or exchanged between them, he looked wordlessly to Lethe for direction. Afterwards, Njal simply turned and began to prowl along the river's edge, falling in to step with the Alpha should she choose to follow him on his hunt for fish.

[Exit Njal] - Archiving because Lethe/Rachel is leaving.