Otatso Wetlands I Can Hear the Wild Wind Howling

Dusk. Rain turning to snow. 35°F / 2°C.

Weetzie was new to the area and had not heard any stories of the place, and no one was there to tell him that the woods were haunted. Although, even if he had such stories, he would not have been deterred because he did not believe in ghosts.

The trees provided some shelter from the rain and snow as he made his way westward through the wetlands. He was beginning to feel uneasy because night was falling and he saw no end to the marshy woods. He knew it would be difficult to navigate through the trees in the dark without the light of the moon, and he hadn’t found any good spots to rest for the night.

He started when he heard a series of screeches some distance behind him. He turned to face the sound, but there was nothing nearby. After a brief moment, he recovered. The screeches were too far away for him to see or smell, but he could identify them by their sounds. A red-tailed hawk had caught a squirrel. He thought it unlikely that the bird would bother him, so he continued on his way.

Several steps later, his left front leg suddenly felt cold and wet. He shivered as he looked down in front of him. He had stepped into a puddle. It is a wetland, he told himself.

Only moments later, he heard a mournful howling and wailing to the north. In the cry, he heard his sister calling for help as well as the whimper of his mother, chiding him for not being there for her. He stopped in his tracks with his ears pulled back and hackles raised as the howl continued to taunt him. “It’s only the wind,” he said aloud to himself, “just the wind whistling through the trees.” He relaxed somewhat, the fur on his back settling, but his tail remained poofed up as he continued westward.

hello!

He has ever stepped foot into the wetlands before. It is unfamiliar; the unbalanced ground keeps him moving at all times to ensure he does not sink through. Such a place does not exist in Blackfeather Woods, only the damp darkness of Mephala's web come close to it. But he is not alone, another calls out to himself from within the marsh, causing Vaati's ears to stand on end and hackles raise out of instinct. It's chilling, and he is out of his element. However, with eyes squinting in the distance, he realizes the figure in the distance making such noise is that of something he could not possibly fear, a coyote. Standing on a platform rose just a few inches above the mud and water, he chuffs lowly in order to get the other's attention. But not necessarily inviting in the company. Vaati is far too unsociable for that; it is his interest in knowing exactly what this place and how to get out of it is that causes him to do so for even as he grows, his childish tendencies of simply curiosity do not waver.

The sky grew darker as Weetzie continued to make his way westward, carefully picking his way through the swamp. He heard a soft chuff behind him and turned around to see what he believed to be a very young but large silver wolf. He was usually unable to read the emotions of others, and even more so when the other did not speak, but he doubted that his silence was a good sign. He also suspected that the juvenile would be more emotional and less predictable than an older wolf, which he did not find comforting.

He figured he could flee if he had to, and he could probably hide pretty well in the wetland. Even so, he would prefer not to change his course. He certainly didn’t want to end up going around in circles in this mud pit. There was also the possibility that he was in or approaching another’s territory, and it was not in his nature to trespass.

Weetzie blinked a few times and sniffed the air. He could still see the wolf and detect his scent, so he concluded that the wolf was real and not just the wind. He wondered if the wolf lived in this spooky place.

He dreaded the thought of socializing, especially if the wolf turned out to be hostile. On the other paw, if the wolf were friendly, Weetzie might find some comfort in the company of the large, imposing form, though he would never admit it, even to himself. He yawned to relax himself, and the fur on his tail finally settled, mostly. He stiffly wagged his tail and spoke to the wolf. “Pardon me,” he said in his flat, monotone voice, “I have no desire to intrude. I was simply passing through.”

Vaati's tense stance slackens once the stranger approaches; he does not feel threatened in the slightest. However, he realizes that his own domineering presence is one that does not welcome company and while he does not want that either, he wants information. He nods once towards the coywolf before looking past the other discreetly, surveying the area as in to map where he is to place his next foot. But all he sees is mud, water, mud and long stalks of grass, lacking any sort of the usual steady footing he is used to. Returning his eyes to the other, he voices his concern. "What is this place?" It comes out in a slight demand, but his intent is nothing of the sort, simple need-to-know.

Sorry for the delay. I’ve had a lot going on irl this week.

Weetzie’s ears perked up at the wolf’s question. “I am unfamiliar with this place,” he answered honestly. “I only know that it appears to be a common wetland. Unfortunately, it is proving difficult to traverse in the dark.” He gazed at the night sky as he spoke. A small part of him was hoping to find even a single star shining through the clouds, perhaps even a hint of the moon, but he was mostly just focusing on something other than making eye contact with the wolf. “Perhaps going around it would have been a better choice, but I wanted to see if there were any useful plants here, as wetlands often have unique plants.” Normally, his discerning nose would allow him to sniff out any medicinal plants, but at any given time he was distracted by several other smells. He was also spooked by the environment, but he wouldn’t admit it, even to himself. Turning to the west, he pawed at the ground, then finding solid ground, he took a few steps in that direction before pawing at the ground again and continuing.

its all good :D

He is surprised to learn that the land he has wandered into is considered "common" whereas, he has never encountered such a thing before. Although he has barely seen the world, there was no way of telling what laid beyond the dark woods and its neighboring regions, beyond what he has only already discovered. But he doesn't suppose a pack could live in a wetland, no creature he has hunted either; the stranger is right in suggesting going around would have been a more reasonable option, however, irreversible in the current moment. He watches as the stranger claws at the mud, exposing solid ground and Vaati does the same, eventually coating his rather sheen coat in dark brown. But he slips, his front right leg sinking into the marsh easily, and he cannot pull away. His heart rate rises, unable to pull himself up from the mud at the angle he stands, the rest of his body standing on stable islands of rock. Sighing, he winces. "If you would be so obliging to help me free?" Vaati calls out, voicing pleasantries in the direction of the stranger he would rather choke on, on a normal day but in the scenario he faces, he does not see an alternative.

Weetzie didn’t want to help the wolf. He wanted to run away and leave him stuck in the mud. A wolf who couldn’t get to him couldn’t threaten him. He still didn’t know whether or not the wolf was hostile, but he usually didn’t trust full-blooded wolves, and Weetzie’s inability to read the wolf’s emotional state made him even more apprehensive. Not to mention that he was never very good at socializing.

But Weetzie’s conscience wouldn’t let him leave. "I will try to assist you." He found a path around to the wolf’s flank as well as a fairly long, sturdy branch lying on the ground. He also subtly planned an escape route in case the wolf’s apparent misfortune turned out to be a trap. His light weight would probably be his best advantage if he had to flee. He found a patch of solid ground a few feet away from the wolf and braced himself against it. He held the branch out to the wolf where he could grab it with his mouth and tried to talk while holding onto it. “-Ra- awn. I’ll -ry roo rull you ow-." He wasn’t sure if it would work given that the wolf was significantly larger than him, but it was the best he could think of at the moment.

The coyote half-breed doesn't run, to his surprise, though the hesitance is clear. Vaati doesn't blame him, he is a stranger and the evidence that he isn't exactly a law-abiding is evident in the slash on his face. The other extends a branch in his direction and Vaati leans out his head and grabs on, biting down powerful canines to ensure he simply doesn't just slip off. He can feel himself sink deeper into the mud by that very act of moving, and a slight panic arises within him, snapping his eyes back to the other and indicating it was now or never. Vaati braces his free leg on a solid platform so that he might be able to haul himself out while the other pulls, and hopefully the forward trajectory would be enough to free his leg.

Weetzie flinched when the wolf reached for the branch and began to sink further. He braced himself and dug his front feet into the dirt. Gripping the branch firmly, he leaned all of his weight backwards and pulled.

He wasn’t sure if it would work. He wasn’t concerned about the branch breaking as he had made sure it sturdy before he picked it up. He wasn’t concerned about being able to hold onto it as he had a strong grip and he assumed the other did too. The weak point in his plan was that his very small, lightweight form was attempting to pull a much larger one. He also knew that the thickness of the mud and working against gravity wasn’t going to help either.

Weetzie carefully stepped backwards one foot at a time, digging into the dirt with each step before taking the next. As he did, he noticed that the other was using his free leg to help pull himself out. It might work after all. Nothing could compete with the desire stay alive.

I’ll let you decide if the attempt is successful.

sorry for the wait, i'll pull him out now and let you post or archive. thanks for the thread :)

He leans forward, extending his neck as far as he could reach to secure a firm grasp on the branch. Using momentum to push himself forward, he begins to feel himself move free, the quelching of his feet becoming released from the mud drives him further and he pulls up. The added force from the other pulling him forward and the upwards motion he provides releases one of his paws to the safety of a stable surface, and soon enough, he gains enough force to pull the rest of him out. He lets out a breath of relief, staring glaringly at the space in which he was trapped and making a mental note to avoid the sticky territory at all costs. "Thank you, very much." He turns to his rescuer, rather uprised the other had been able to get him out. "If you ever swing by a big dark forest near here, remind me that I owe you a favour," He dips his head in thanks and parts ways with the other, eager to get out of there as fast as he could.

Weetzie was relieved when he saw that, with his help, the other was managing to pull himself free. Once he was finally on stable ground, Weetzie watched in silence as the other turned to face the mud pit that had entrapped him. If Weetzie had had any understanding of emotion, he might have suspected that the other was either angry at it or frightened by it, but such illogical thoughts didn’t even occur to him.

After the other spoke, Weetzie answered, “You are welcome. I shall keep that in mind if ever I am in need.” He wasn’t sure if he would ever see him again or if he would ever visit the dark forest he spoke of, but it seemed like the appropriate thing to say. When the other lowered his head, Weetzie did as well, then the other was gone.

When Weetzie was sure that he was alone, he plopped to the ground, exhausted. He was small and not physically very strong, and helping the pull the large wolf out of the mud took a lot out of him. Perhaps he would rest there until morning, assuming his missing sister didn’t haunt him.