Phoenix Maplewood Anyone Home?

AW! Tag @Aditya for reference - Not sure if Adi still visits here.

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He finally found his way to Pheonix Maplewood. Valette had sent him to scout out the area and see if Morningside had infact split up and moved in. But when he got there there was little evidence that the pack had split. The scent of some of it's members was present along with a few scent markings but nothing that resembled an official territory border.

He continued along sniffing around, seeing if anyone was hidden among these woods. Perhaps they were in the process of forming and where scattered around. Luckily Easthollow was an allie of Morningside so he didn't feel he would get into as much trouble as a loner might, walking in a possibly claimed territory.

Brynn had been exploring non-stop since yesterday. There were so many different areas to explore. She had been paying attention to scent markers and other indications of pack lands, careful not to trespass anywhere for fear of causing trouble. She may want to join a pack at some point and did not want to get off on the wrong foot with any of the packs in the area. 

In this particular area, Brynn noticed a few old scents of unfamiliar wolves here and there, but nothing indicated that this land belonged to a pack. Good. She was feeling a little anxious right now, and the last thing she needed was to unknowingly wander into a pack's territory. She did not need to get wounded in a strange land where she had no friends. But, that was not a new concept for Brynn. Se had been a lone wolf for over a year now. It had been lonely, but it had also been safe. It was better this way. 

She caught the fresh scent of a strange wolf and froze. Shit. She was sure this land didn't bear the markers of claimed territory. She listened intently to the birds and the wind, searching for a sound that would help her visualize the wolf that belonged to this scent. She saw him a distance away. She stayed frozen, tail down but not tucked, ears forward and pricked, trying to remain alert but neutral and non-aggressive. She thought about saying something, but then decided against it. He might be alerted to her presence soon, and she did not want to come off as pushy.

When the winds changed Howl's nostrils filled with a strong female scent, more prevalent then the other faded scents scattered throughout the woods. He turned and lifted his head to see a dishy thick coated female. Her pelt a combination of blacks, whites and grays, tipical gray wolf colors. But the accents of light tanish brown accented her well and made her appear unique.

Interlayed with the other faided scents in the area he thought that she might be a member of Morningside that he hadn't yet meet. He took a few steps towards her to that he could get a better view of her features and so that he wouldn't have to shout as he spoke to her. "Hello there Milady. My name is Howl Pendragon. I am in search of members of the Morningside pack. You wouldn't by chance happen to be one of their new additions would you?" he asked hoping to learn if he had completed the mission Valette had sent him on. But even if his mission was done, he didn't see the need to leave right away if this female was open to the idea of a conversation.

Brynn took a few steps towards Howl and sat down. The fact that he was looking for a member of this Morningside pack made her a little nervous. She was not going to lie about who she was, but she was afraid of what he might do when he found out that not only was she not a member of this pack, but also that she was a lone wolf.

His tone and words seemed friendly enough, so maybe this wouldn't go as badly as she was expecting. She did have a habit of being pessimistic. Brynn looked at Howl and said, "Hello. I'm Brynn Rivers. I am sorry, but I am not a part of the Morningside pack. I belong to no pack," The last part was said a little more quietly. " Why? Do they own this territory?" Brynn said as she looked around somewhat nervously.

She introduced herself as Brynn Rivers. A name Howl thought was particularly pleasant sounding, especially her surname. Rivers. But she wasn't part of Morningside a bit of a disappointment. When she mentioned that she infact did not belong to any pack, Howl thought not much of it. Other then that she was a lone wolf. In Howl's opinion a lone wolf or a pack wolf were equal to one another. Though pack wolves did have others to protect and live for, the life of a loner was equally as hard. "Nice to meet you Brynn."  he said first nodding his head in acknowedgment. 

"No they don't own the territory, or at least it doesn't seem like it. I was sent to see if they had moved to this area and although I can smell their scent, they don't seem to have made their claim." he noticed her looking around a bit nerviously. After all a lone wolf, in fact any wolf, in another pack's territory was sometimes deamed kill worthy. "You need not worry though. If they do show up I'll uphold you. After all, a lovely lady like yourself shouldn't be shooed off because of a misunderstanding." Even though he had only just meet her, she seemed friendly and sweet. 

Relieved that she had not unknowingly trespassed into claimed territory, Brynn relaxed a little. Now that she didn't feel like she was in any immediate danger, she took in the wolf in front of her. He was tall and handsome. The chocolate brown in his coat was striking, especially when mixed with the black and grey. She also noticed three claw marks across his right eye and wondered what he had been through, although she felt it rude to ask, so for now at least, she would keep that curiosity to herself.

Distracted as she was by this wolf's pleasing appearance, she hadn't forgotten that he said he would have her back if these pack members from Morningside showed themselves. She was honestly a little surprised but also a little miffed. She appreciated the sentiment, especially since he didn't really know her, but did he think her unable to fend for herself? She had done so just fine for a long time. Also, in the back of her mind where her inner anxious voice lived, she wondered if there was some ulterior motive behind his generous offer. She shook it off, though. She could at least give him a chance to prove her wrong.

Looking at Howl curiously, she said, "That's really kind of you to offer, especially since you don't know me." She hesitated for a minute and then continued, "But, I have been taking care of myself for a long time and have been doing a pretty okay job at it, I think." Brynn paused again before continuing, "I don't mean to come off as ungrateful or brash...It's just before coming to Teekon Wilds, I didn't really have friendly encounters with strangers..." She trailed off embarrassed that she had been rambling a little. Ugh, why did she have to be so awkward? "Anyway, sorry for interrupting your mission," Brynn offered before falling silent again, afraid he would soon realize that she was not so lovely, but actually strange and a little socially inept.

He couldn't help but smile when she began to speak. Saying that she would be able to defend herself. It wasn't that he thought she wouldn't be able to do it, it was that he hadn't expected them to need to get into a fight.  "Oh no... I wasn't... I'm sure you are very capable of caring for yourself. It's only that my pack and Morningside are allies. I was only offering to uphold... or vouch for your good intentions. Avoid a confrontation altogether." he said to clarify. He didn't mind being one's knight in shining armor, but he didn't think that would be necessary.

She apologized quickly after her statement, afraid that she may have come off as rude. But it was understandable. Howl knew that if another had questioned his abilities he would have felt disrespected in one way or another. "That's alright. I think you're doing a pretty good job. You seem rather friendly to me." he said reiterating the word she had used. 

She apologized again this time for interrupting his mission.  "That's alright too. I'm in no hurry. In truth, I am also venturing for personal enjoyment as well as my mission." he stated hoping to squander any lingering feeling of worry in her. He had told Valette that he would be gone for a few weeks. He still had plenty of time till he would be expected to return home.

Brynn noticed that he had been smiling while she was talking, which along with the clarification that he did not expect any confrontation, put her a little more at ease. "And, just how do you know that my intentions are good? I could be a big bad wolf," Brynn replied, tilting her head a little.  

Brynn then huffed out a noise that sounded like a chuckle, something she couldn't remember having done for a long time. he seemed genuine when stating that she seemed friendly, which lightened her spirits a little. Smirking, Brynn said, "Friendly, huh? I guess I'll take it." 

When Howl stated that he was in no hurry and venturing for enjoyment, her interest peaked. She loved exploring and was excited to find someone who shared that enjoyment. Smiling shyly, Brynn asked, "So, do I find myself in the presence of a fellow wanderer?" With a look of excitement in her eyes, Brynn added, "Exploring is my favorite pastime. Nothing clears my head quite like a good, long wandering session." Her shy smile turned into a grin with this statement.

She was right. It was completely possible that she wasn't a good wolf, but one that had ill intentions. Howl hoped not. She seemed nice and friendly though maybe a bit more socially awkward than most. But Howl felt that he had a good sense of reading people and thought that if she did have bad intentions she would be acting differently. "I guess I don't know for sure. But your attitude has been welcoming thus far."  he explained. "But by all means, if you are in fact a 'bad girl' don't be afraid to show your colors."  he said playfully still expecting her to be a good person. But if she was, in fact, harboring bad intentions Howl would do his best to deal with her, including getting her away from Morningside's pack and informing them of her presence.

She then began to talk about wandering around and how much she enjoyed it, asking if he shared her feelings.  "I usually use the word scout, but it is often just wandering around. I was raised in a pack constantly on the move and now it just comes naturally to me. What about you? What started your wandering?"

Brynn smiled at Howl's bad girl comment. She didn't even know how to be bad. Mostly, she tried to do what was right. "No bad girl tendencies here," Brynn replied, smiling before adding, "Just trying to get by and not cause trouble."

She considered his comment about scouting and asked, "Scouting is like wandering with a purpose?" Brynn had never heard the word 'scouting' before. She had never really had much of a purpose other than surviving but thought it might be nice to have other purposes in life.

When Howl asked what started her wandering, the smile left her face and she looked down. Her past was not something she really liked to talk much about. In fact, she hadn't really had a reason to talk about it for a long time. This thought reminded her of how lonely her life had been recently. She looked back up at Howl and replied, "My wandering...started out of necessity and then became my only way of life. Brynn paused thinking about the painful events that lead her to be completely on her own as just a young yearling, then continued, "I grew up in a small pack a long long way from here. Some lone wolves killed pretty much all of my family, and I barely escaped. Since then, I have been completely on my own...just trying to survive. I guess now it just comes as second nature to be constantly moving." She hoped that by sharing this painful piece of her past, she could begin to change her lone wolf ways and maybe even make some friends. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she searched for a way to change the subject and asked, "Your pack moved around a lot when you were young? what was that like?"

She confirmed his initial thoughts about her not having ill intentions. She could be lying but Howl doubted it. He nodded when she asked about the word 'scouting', "I guess you could say that, yeah." he said in confirmation. It sounded like a good an easy way to describe it. 

As she went on to describe how she became a wanderer it became clear that it wasn't a pleasant story. Filled with invasion and the demise of her parents. Causing her to be a loner who was always on the move. Howl sympathized with the girl and partially empathized aswell. "I'm sorry to hear about your family."  he said in a more solemn tone.

With her having shared his past with him he thought that he might do the same.  "I'm afraid my story isn't all that pleasant either. My parents and my pack moved around a lot trying to evade the war-driven packs of our region. But no matter how much we moved or fought back we kept losing numbers." he said in a more somber tone thinking back on it.  "And although I was adamant to stay my parents insisted that I try to find a better life for myself elsewhere. So here I am." he said finishing his statement attempting to sound light-hearted. 

He could sense that the mood had changed a bit, so in an attempt to make it a bit lighter he went on to say, "But I like to think that those who come out of what you and I went through are stronger despite it."

Listening to Howl's story, Brynn immediately felt sad for him. Her family was taken from her, but it must feel awful to have to make the choice to leave your loved ones behind. She was glad he offered up a piece of his past to her. It made her feel better about sharing a little of her story with him. Brynn looked at Howl with compassion in her eyes and said, "That must have been a hard decision to make. I can't even imagine..." She trailed off not really know how else to express her sadness for him. 

Brynn was surprised by Howl's last statement. It helped cast a positive light on both of their stories. Plus, the more she though about, the more she felt it was true. She then replied, "Your sympathy, willingness to listen, and kind words are much appreciated." 

Brynn stretched from her sitting position and rose up on all fours in front of Howl. She really wanted to explore this area a little more. She wouldn't mind his company while exploring a little but wasn't sure if he would be into it. Only one way to find out, she thought. "Say, would you be up to accompanying me while I explore this area a little more?" She smiled shyly, and added, "It's totally cool if you can't since you're busy and all...Just thought I'd ask since you probably know this area way better than I do." She wagged her tail slightly and waited for his response.

She went on to express her own sympathy. Howl had to leave his family behind, not knowing how they would fare without and not even knowing if they were still alive. But Brynn has seen her parents and family die. There was no uncertainty there. Howl considered her story to be worse than his own, at least Howl could imagine that his parents were alive, no matter how improbable it was. He nodded to her appreciation but felt that she needn't thank him. 

He smiled and at her words before speaking. "I would enjoy that. In truth this is my first time visiting here." he chuckled a bit before speaking. "You know, you should stop selling yourself short. Any man should feel delighted to spend his time with such a stunning young woman. I know I am." he said ready to walk beside her as he joined her.

Brynn's eyes brightened at Howl's acceptance of her offer. "That's okay!" She said in answer to his response that he was also not familiar with this place, "That's even better!" His next comment made her put her ears down nervously for a minute before giving him a shy smile. "Well...umm...thanks," She replied quietly. "I'm glad you think so, because I think you're pretty stunning, too," she added smiling shyly again before turning to look into the forest.

Brynn slowly started trotting deeper into the beautiful forest, occasionally stopping here and there to follow interesting scents that caught her attention. "My favorite part about being somewhere new is getting to follow all of the new scents to new plants and animals," Brynn stated as she looked at Howl with what was probably too much excitement on her face. Turning her head back towards her current path, she continued to pad across the forest floor. She suddenly caught the scent of something sweet. She turned to Howl and asked, "Do you smell that, too?" Brynn quickly turned back around and started following the fascinating scent until it led her to a large tree with large green leaves. She could tell the scent was coming from somewhere inside the tree. She made her way around the tree a few times before she saw a sticky substance coming from a scored piece of bark. She smelled the faint scent of a squirrel there, also. Had the animal been drawn by the scent as well and found a way into the tree, she wondered? Regardless, there was still plenty dripping down the trunk of the tree. Brynn looked up at the substance and considered it for a second before she stood up on her haunches and placed her front paws on the trunk of the tree. She could just barely reach her prize with her soft pink tongue, but was still able to lap a small chunk into her mouth. Falling back to the ground, she moved the the sweet, gooey substance around in her mouth before finally swallowing it. She had never tasted anything like this! She looked at Howl with surprise on her face. "You have to try some," She said excitedly. "It's like nothing I've ever tasted before," She exclaimed, licking any remnants from her lips as she spoke.

He gave her a charming grin when she confessed to finding him attractive. For Howl it was so easy to see beautiful women and tell them. But it seemed as though females were less inclined to state their attraction so easily. None the less it was nice to hear that the two were on the same page. Both happy to be accompanied by another good-looking individual.

When she described her favorite thing about being in a new place Howl couldn't help but miss that feeling. He found new places almost everywhere he went but he had to be careful with where the new sights and scents would lead him. He had to know where he was and now far from the pack he was so that he could return properly. As a lone wolf you needn't return to anyone and were allowed to follow to your heart's content.  "I wish I could do more of that. You make it sound so adventurous."  he said with a playful raise of his eyebrows and a smile.

He walked with her turning his head this way and that to catch new smells, but followed her rather than venturing off separately. She then turned to look at him and asked if he was about to smell what she was smelling. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath,  "... something sweet ..." he said thinking aloud before following her to a large tree. 

She reached up to try some ooze coming from the bark of the tree, just barely reaching it. When she came back down she commented on its taste and insisted that he try some for himself. He reached up the tree, and being taller then her had a lot easier time reaching up. He tasted some and it was indeed sweet. Remembering how hard it had been for her to reach up here, he took his claws and dropped them down. Causing a longer gash in the bark to for the ooze to follow. "That should be easier for you to reach."  he said first. "Perhaps it's sap. I've seen it before, but never thought to try it."  he said.

Watching this charming wolf create another spot for this sweet substance to fall from lower down on the tree so she could more easily reach it, Brynn found herself feeling lucky that she had come upon a wolf so willing to spend time with her. She grinned and said, "Thanks!" before lapping more into her mouth. He called it 'sap' before telling her he had never tried it before. She lapped up a little more before asking, "Are you glad you tried it, now? Isn't it tasty?" She sat back down trying to lap a small piece that of sap that had found it's way to the top of her muzzle, waiting to see how he felt about their yummy, golden, prize.

They took turns going up and taking tastes of the sweet watery sap. Not all that filling but a nice treat none the less. As he stood up on the tree grabbing a taste, she asked if he liked it. He turned his head to look at her when he answered, but got the sap stuck in his cheek fur in the process. He attempted to lick it away, but it was too far out of reach, prompting him to answer,  "It is quite sweet, though a bit... sticky." he smelled the air for a moment. "I'm not sure we will find a water source here to wash it off."  he said unable to smell water. But maybe it was a ways off. But he assumed that he would have to deal with the stuck sap for a while. 

As he turned to answer her question, he appeared to get sap stuck in the fur on his cheek. She couldn't help but giggle at him a little. She had given up trying to lick the sap from the top of her muzzle but had been able to lick most of it from her paws. 

Before she realized what she was doing, she moved to his cheek and and began licking the sap to try and free it from his fur. She then stopped suddenly and backed away a little. What was she doing? She had gotten carried away with the task at hand, not even stopping to think about the implications of her actions. She looked to the side and said a little sheepishly, "I...didn't think that through. I had just had some on my paws and was able to lick it off, so..." 

He made no moves to step back when she approached him, but was surprised when she began licking his cheek. He understood what she was trying to do, but he liked the idea that she was giving him small kisses on his cheek. She then stopped suddenly, the job incomplete as she looked sheepishly away.

He gave her a smile before speaking, "That's ok. You were just being helpful." he said in a kind and warm voice. "It would only be fitting that I return the favor." he said. Now with her up close he could see a little bit of sap on her muzzle just out of reach. He went and gave her a few licks, freeing her muzzle off the sticky sap, and gave her one more kiss for good measure.

She smiled again, this time feeling his fur bunch up as his lips turned.  "Though I think there's still a little left on my cheek." he said wondering what she might do about it.

When he began licking the sap from her muzzle, Brynn found that she actually liked his closeness. He even gave her an extra kiss after, which brought back her shy smile. 

He then brought her attention back to the sap still caught in his fur. She slowly moved close enough to start licking the sap again and and didn't stop until his fur was free from the sticky mess. She gave him a little nuzzle under his chin before backing away enough to be able to look at him again. "There," She stated softly, "I think that's all of it."

She didn't seem to mind his extra kiss and finished cleaning off his cheek with an affectionate nuzzle under his chin. Ooooh. Part of him simply wanted to continue and receiving kisses from her. But now there was no excuse for them.  "What a pity. I quite liked that."  he said softly with a smile, before gently nuzzle head against hers.

"Have you gotten your fill?" he asked. "Of sweets that is." he clarified. He looked her over and though to himself, I know I'm not. "Perhaps I could lead the way this time." he stated refering to the furthering of their wandering.

Brynn smiled at his statement that he liked her kisses. He certainly was charming, she thought to herself.

She smiled wider when he asked if she had had her fill, catching what she thought was a double meaning. "Of this yummy sap, yes," she answered. "Of you, not at all," she said offering him another nuzzle under his chin.

When he asked if he could lead the way this time, she grew excited and answered, "of course," before standing and giving a small excited wag of her tail.

He chuckled aloud when she said she hadn't gotten her fill on him. It was exactly what he was thinking, but she proved to be more brazen. "You should have told me you could read mind."  he stated, metaphorically stating that he had the same thought. Kissing her on the forehead as she nuzzled under his chin once again. Howl was not embarrassed about the way he felt, he simply didn't want to come on too strong. To accidentally scare her away. After all, this encounter had been most enjoyable, but there was nothing to say that this would continue after today. There was currently no official permanence in what they had here today.

But he pushed that out of his mind, not wanting to think about time without her company.  "Come on then."  he said with a smile gesturing forwards past the sap leaking tree. At first he found nothing of the much interest, a faint scent of a rabbit here, another one of Morningside's faint marking there. But then he caught something and it stuck, now changing his course from a straight line to him following a particular scent. He wasn't completely sure what it was, but it seemed large. Continuing on he came across a fallen tree.  "Beavers... but there's no..." he began saying before the sound of a falling tree interrupted him. He looked at Brynn before walking towards the sound, no longer relying on the scent to guide him. As he weaved his way through the trees and to an opening he was a large pond created by a beaver dam. To there had been water, it just wasn't audible with it standing still. "A utopian pond... except for the beavers that is." he stated knowing how territorial they could be.

Brynn huffed a small laugh at his mind-reading comment and responded to his beckon to follow him deeper into the forest.

While walking next to him, she watched him sniff around. She considered his mind-reading comment again and tilted her head a little before asking, "What you said before...Does that mean you feel the same way?" She didn't want to let herself hope too much. His affections had lead her to believe the feeling was mutual, but if she wanted to protect herself, she couldn't just assume he felt that way about her. She wasn't even sure what all this meant. She continued to follow him through the forest, occasionally picking up both familiar and unfamiliar scents of different plants and animals.

Brynn soon found her thoughts drifting to her anxieties. She had been ignoring the anxious voice in the back of her mind warning her not to form attachments. Attachments meant she was vulnerable to getting hurt. Entertaining these warning thoughts had kept her safe as a loner. Safe, but lonely. The loneliness was what urged her to speak her feelings rather than hide them. This thought brought her to her constant inner conflict of whether to push others away or give them the power to hurt her. 

Suddenly, she was pulled from her thoughts by Howl's sudden change in course. She wasn't sure what he was doing, but followed him anyway, trusting him not to lead her into danger. He then mentioned 'beavers' to her, seeming confused. Is that what the peculiar scent now drifting into her nostrils belonged to? Her musings were suddenly interrupted by a loud crashing noise. Startled, Brynn jumped and momentarily froze. She met Howl's eye's with a wary look and then followed him nervously. She then found herself looking at beautiful pond. Excited, she almost started toward the water but his comment regarding the beavers stopped her. She looked at him curiously and asked, "What don't you like about these...beavers? Brynn asked repeating the strange word.

It seemed he hadn't been clear enough with his metaphor. He looked at her with a smile before confirming. "Yes. Very much so." 

When they reached the pond her tail began to wag and she headed towards the pond as he spoke. She then stopped looking at him and asking why he didn't like the beavers. Maybe she had never soon them before. It wasn't uncommon to hear about beavers but to see one of their dams was less so. "I guess as themselves they aren't too bad. They are just rather territorial and aren't afraid of splashing you with their tales till you leave."  he said knowing the force behind those tail and how hard water could hit. 

He began walking towards the pond. "But if we stay at the far end, maybe they will be more tolerant." he said hoping, going a few paces into the water.