Wapun Meadow Far From Home, On My Own

During her brief stay in the fox-filled woods, she’d found herself having made an acquaintance. A wolf opposite to herself, in terms of appearance. Though the other had been cautious of her after catching her scent alone, that had not resulted in a problem when they exchanged their greetings. Despite the possibility of a friendship that lingered between them, the shadow-clad maiden had not stayed by her side. She had, however, mentioned meeting one another again, perhaps even soon. It’d taken a bit of effort in order for her to make her legs start moving away from the other girl, as the company of others was something she appreciated. Still, she had eventually left, carrying on with her exploration of the new land. The moment she’d left, the fact that she was currently alone hit her hard, yet her outer appearance did not betray her inner emotions. She was a strong Draconid girl, the first born to her parents, and the one to inherit the ability that allowed many woman before her to connect with their God. She could not allow for her current lack of companionship to eat away at her. Besides, she was not completely alone, not with Draco’s presence floating in the back of her mind.
 
Against her better judgement, Asterr had allowed for her thoughts to drift back to her friend as she wandered to whatever location laid in wait for her. She would have expected that the elder had caught up with her already, yet not a trace of the other female was to be found. She worried for her friend, and hoped that the Dragon God was keeping watch over her while the two girls were apart. The sylphlike wolf knew her friend would not abandon her, and she believed no ill fate could befall her. No, such a thing was not likely, as far are the night-cloaked lupine was concerned. She believed such things not because she viewed her traveling partner as some unstoppable force, either, but because she knew the other would not allow herself to get tripped up anywhere after having said she would catch up once rested. Realizing that, perhaps, she was thinking too far into the subject, the yearling gave a soft shake of her head and cleared the thoughts away, focusing instead on where she was going. Having used the sun as a compass when it had first started to rise into the sky, she knew she was heading slightly North of the darkened woods, but what terrain she was to be met with as she ventured further was unknown.
 
The scent of the meadow reached her nose before the view entered her sights, bringing a faint smile across her maw. Though the months of warmth were fading away, the flowers that littered the area had yet to hide away from the cold entirely. Some still remained, and while it was clear they were fading, enough of their essence lingered to send their floral scent in her direction. As she entered the meadow, Asterr drew in a breath, taking in the smells of what now surrounded her. No longer were her nostrils assaulted by the stench of foxes, but were instead embraced by an appealing fragrance. She knew not the names belonging to the florets circling her, but that did not prevent her from appreciating their faltering beauty. Even as she walked, placing the pads of her paws against some of the wilting forms unintentionally, she would look from petal to petal, as if to inspect them. It was only when she reached a creek did she draw her gaze from the various colours, only to then place it upon the flowing water. Lowering her head down, she took a drink, enjoying the feel of the cool liquid as it washed down her throat.

He did not wish to drift too far from the Grove, but the wolf desperately needed some time to clear his head. He wasn’t sure he would ever adjust looking upon Swift’s face and seeing empty eye sockets stare back at him – the vision was not only haunting, but heartbreaking.
 
He did not seek the eastern side of their territory, fearful that he might run in to Eshe. He was not sure if he could handle another douse of guilt upon that which already weighed him, and so the wolf moved southwest, his paws leading him awfully close to his old home.
 
Perhaps they never should have eft Swiftcurrent Creek. They had dealt with numerous, troublesome neighbors.. but their home had never caught fire there – they had never suffered from such bear attacks.
 
But they were rooted for now, and the cinnamon Alpha would not move his pack again. They would work more diligently at solidifying the safety within their small haven, and from there, they would maintain it. Scimitar was tired of playing the puppet to the world, and he was ready to rise once more.
 
Giving a quick shake of his thoughts, the Frostufr lifted his aqua eyes, noting a dark form in the distance. It was easy to see she was female – the slender curves were hard to miss. Hesitating, the stoical wolf watched her silently, debating if he should investigate further.. or head home now.

As the girl had brought her head back up and away from the steady flow of water, her eyes narrowed in on a form in the distance. Unlike with Faith, who she’d met in the dark, she knew right away that the form was actually a wolf. A male, from the looks of it, unless she’d happened across a land in which the women looked the exact opposite of herself. A preposterous idea, she’d decided soon after. She continued to watch him, studying his appearance and observing the way he held himself. Though no immediate threat was detected, she couldn’t help but be reluctant to make the first move. Thus, she waited, half expecting him to start in her direction. When no movements could be seen, however, she pushed out a short breath. If he planned to stay there, watching her as she regarded him, then that would leave her with two options of her own—to head towards him or act as if she’d never seen him. The latter was highly unbelievable, though, as well as rude.
 
Not wishing to risk making a bad impression so early on into her arrival, Asterr decided that she would need to head towards him. Crossing over the small creek, she proceeded to traipse in his direction, silver eyes unwilling to look away. Her movements were poised, paws soft against the ground beneath her. She stopped several meters away, placing herself close enough to speak without shouting, but far enough that she would at least hold a chance at weaseling around him if it came down to that. While the side of her mind focused on reasoning assured her she would not need a quick escape route, she gave the surrounding area a once over just in case. After all, it never hurt to be prepared.
 
Even after she’d returned her attention to him entirely, she did not speak. Not right away. She allowed for a few extra seconds of silence to pass between them, before finally offering up a greeting. “Hello.” Asterr took a second after to, very discreetly, take in some air. Her nose was met with none other than the scent of a pack, or so she assumed given the amount of other fragrances clinging to his coat. Different wolves, both male and female. She could not believe any loner would sport so many, leaving her to believe her assumption was correct—which ended the unspoken discussion right away. She kept quiet then after, both inwardly and outwardly, but did not cease in her surveying of the stranger.

Before he could decide if he would approach or not, the raven female spotted him, studying him. He was tempted to opt for a quick exit – to turn back and head to Jade Fern Grove where he should have been now.. but he could not bring himself to return so swiftly. Not with knowing what awaited him upon return.
 
His aqua eyes smoothed over her as she made to close the distance between them, seemingly deciding what would occur for both of them. She was a graceful creature – her sleek form indicating not only youth, but a delicate nature. His muzzle tipped slightly as the male forced himself to relax, his own eyes seeking.
 
She did not smell of a scent he recognized as belonging to one of their neighbor packs, but there was still much to be explored in the area once more. Giving a nod to her soft greeting, Scimitar exhaled softly. “Hello,” he returned, his torn ear giving an idle flick. “I haven’t seen you around before.” It was a ridiculous statement – but he was at a loss for what else to say.

Upon the return of a greeting, her attention was, briefly, pulled from his face and to his torn ear. She wondered what had happened there, but dare not ask, less it be a touchy subject. Besides, whatever had caused it didn’t concern her, the wound having seemed to have healed long before her arrival in Teekon—perhaps even before her entrance into the world itself. The statement that followed his greeting had her peering back into his eyes, unable to keep a faint smile from touching her lips. “I would hope not,” she responded, a hint of amusement in her words. “I only recently arrived here, and I suspect I would have remembered seeing you during my journey away from home.” Her memory worked well, making forgetting a face next to impossible—not that she wished to forget anyone she’s met.
 
“My name’s Asterr Draconid.” In spite of his being larger than her, she did not feel as if the male was one to be feared. His body language did not alert her to anything worth worrying over, allowing her to give her name without even a trace of worry or caution lingering in her tone. “Your name?” Asterr had become a bit interested in the stranger, wondering what had lured him from wherever he’d come from. “Do you live around here?” The young dragon had no problem asking questions, especially since she was in an unfamiliar land, speaking to an unknown wolf. She kept quiet while awaiting his answer, if any were to come, not wanting to accidentally speak over him. Plus, she wanted to know just how close by the man lived, as that would lead to another question.

She didn’t seem put off by his lack of charisma, and instead took the reins of conversation, nailing him with one question after another. He would have been almost pleasantly bewildered is he didn’t exude exhaustion, and the male’s eyes swept over her features, studying her. The indication that she was a lone-wolf was practically dancing in front of him – and Jade Fern Grove could use the extra members.
 
“Scimitar,” he spoke, always finding a way to answer questions in the shortest way possible. “Yes – northeast of here.” And then, not to be outdone by the pragmatic female with a dozen questions, he tipped his muzzle slightly. “Are you just passing through?”

Asterr appreciated the other sharing his name. Scimitar. She’d never met anyone by such a name before, making their meeting all the more pleasant—for her, at least. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Scimitar.” There was a sliver of disappointment that hit her when he answered her inquiry concerning the location of his home. The feeling was subdued right away, however, since she had suspected as much. It was the direction from which it appeared he’d come from, after all. Even so, the response caused the question she’d planned to ask to die in her throat. While it was merely an assumption that he would be unable to answer, that, combined with the whisper in the back of her mind, kept the query from rising from its ashes. Patch would come when she was rested. She’d arrive from the same direction the young dragon had. The ex-medium was certain of it.
 
The Draconid did not answer the question he’d given her right away, uncertain of her answer. She had left home to travel, as well as to see what laid beyond the confines of her tribe. Perhaps the valley she’d stumbled across could show her just that. “I’m not sure yet,” she admitted. “I believe I will be staying around for a bit, though.” The land, albeit still new to her, had caught her interest enough that she didn’t want to leave right away. What she planned to do after she’d explored some more was something she’d yet to figure out. “Any particular reason why you asked?” There was a touch of curiosity in her tone, though interest and amusement overpowered it.

“You as well, Asterr,” he returned, knowing her words likely just a formality. It was rare he spoke of such things—his quiet and stoical nature usually coaxed others to get to the point.. and yet every so often, when coming upon a stranger, the cinnamon wolf managed to find his manners.
 
But usually only for so long.
 
His tail gave a gentle flick through the air, his bright eyes regarding her quietly as she spoke. She intended to stay for a bit – but such words did not inspire his confidence to trust the wanderer in terms of loyalty. But perhaps she required a reason to stay.. and just perhaps, she was looking for one. “If it proves to be a decent fit, I could offer you a place within my home – Jade Fern Grove,” he probed, curious to her reaction. She wasn’t willing to let short answers bring the simple ending of their conversation, and so the agouti wolf did what any other recruiting Alpha would do – he put himself out there.

The words that followed were not entirely unexpected, but still just enough to have a look of astonishment flicker across her face. A mere glimmer in her eyes, which was gone as quickly as it’d arrived. The offer was tempting, she’d admit that to herself, but something urged her not to accept it. Being in the presence of others was enjoyable for her, having grown in a close-knit tribe, but loyalty to her family was also of great importance. Patch, while not related by blood, was still family to her, and she couldn’t allow herself to carry on and look into packs in the area—not yet, at least, not with the elder female still trailing far behind her.
 
Asterr gave the male a polite shake of her head, then, having quickly made up her mind. Perhaps she would have given it more thought had her travelling companion been with her currently, but without the lighter wolf at her side, she felt making any big decisions to be a lousy idea. Something like joining a pack would have affected the both of them, and she wanted her friend to have a say in the matter, rather than being forced to follow the younger's lead. “I will have to decline your offer,” she finally voiced, gaze holding the appreciation she felt towards the proposal. “A friend of mine is meant to be catching up with me soon, and I would hate to drag her into a whole new pack without her having a say in it first.” While she could have said she would consider the idea of joining his home, she had opted for declining altogether. It was due to her friend still being far off, yes, but also because she wasn’t yet ready to settle in the unfamiliar land. An instinct within her told her to explore further, to see what else was out there, before even thinking about settling.

His offer was declined, and he gave a nod in return, understanding. "Fair enough," he offered, and while he could have told her she was welcome to reevaluate once her friend arrived, he did not -- his offer was not something that was left upon a table. His home and pack were sacred to him -- not something that was left with open invitations.
 
With the possibility of recruitment gone, the wolf failed to see any reason to linger longer. His son and fmaily needed him most at home, and with a dip of his muzzle, the stoical wolf was unwilling to put more time in to a stranger. "Best of luck to you and your companion during your travels," he rumbled then, his bright eyes scanning over her before his gaze drifted back to the direction of his home.  Without waiting for much of a response, the male turned, his paws beginning to pull him in the direction he truly needed to be.

Being met with a neutral response towards her disinterest was a relief, though she hadn’t fully noted that feeling. Some might question her decision after taking the approach of winter into consideration, but she held no regret towards it. A friend she knew well would arrive any day now, she was sure of it. Patch was like family to her, and the Draconid was a wolf who’d choose family over a pack of strangers no matter the situation. It was something that seemed right to her, and honoured the morals and mentality she’d been brought up with. She was glad for her response to have been accepted by the male, rather than questioned, and showed her bit of gratitude by offering up a faint lowering of her crown. It was followed by a more prominent nod, made lighter with a smile as a wish of luck was sent her way. “I wish the best for you and your pack as well,” she returned promptly, having realized their encounter was drawing to a close.
 
Asterr stood in place as she watch the male leave first, not wanting to seem as if she was following him. Once he was a great enough distance away, she continued her trek forward, allowing for her legs to carry her to her next destination—wherever that may end up being.