She doesn’t stay in one place for very long. It she doesn’t keep moving, it’ll catch up to her, but the fire in her legs slow her down from the distance she should be making. The short rest she was given with the wolf she met a few days ago hadn’t been much of an offering and for a few short hours, she’d been able to lay down. The feeling in her limbs amplified, throbbing as they eased in rest, but she’d been forced up and into her travel once more.
A hunger causes her stomach to roil, empty and churning for food. She feels the backlash of bile in the back of her throat and the urge to vomit despite nothing there to return. She’s pushed herself too far, fear creeping up the back of her neck and swallowing her whole. Walking has become painful, aching with each step like a nail splintering the ends of her legs. Running is out of the question.
Hiisi only hopes to find an abandoned carcass with a little meat left for her to scavenge but as she walks the outer portion of the plains, bison in the distance, she hope begins to dwindle.
Sen had been traveling quite a bit as of late, it reminded her of old times. Back when she was a yearling, pushing herself to travel great lengths in short spans of time—it'd been a dangerous lifestyle, but she'd survived it. Through exhaustion and fatigue, she'd shoved past and continued onward. Presently, she was doing something similar, but with breaks in between. As far as she was concerned, she'd be useless if sickly and on the verge of passing out. Such was something she could not afford, either, feeling the need to live up a certain standard. As the first recruit, it was her job to not only set an example, but to also ensure that other recruits weren't frightened off by the assumption that they'd be overworked.
The serpent's current journey had taken her to the open plains, a place where bison seemed plentiful. She knew better than to try hunting one on her own, as doing so would be a fool's mission. Hunting a stag by one's self was dangerous enough, and then bison were so much greater in size. It was something she wouldn't even attempt, valuing her life far too much. Thus, her time there was done, and she'd been ready to carry on with her mission until she spotted another wolf off in the distance. Curious, she set her course towards the stranger instead, getting a better glance at her condition with every step taken. She didn't appear to be in the best of shape, but could do well enough if she didn't die first.
"Hey!" the woman called out, trying to gain the other's attention before the distance between them had been reduced to several meters. Judging by the fact that the other was alone, she felt it would be best to announce herself rather than just popping up out of nowhere—who knew how the unknown wolf might react to that.
The sound of another causes her head to turn too quickly and she staggers a few steps forward. Hiisi catches herself before she stumbles to the ground but her cheeks burn red and angry with embarrassment and it takes her a moment to gather herself to focus on the wolf headed in her direction. She’s quickly closing the distance before she’s really able to steady herself and her claws dig into the ground to hold herself upright. A strong wind might topple her over.
She mutters something inaudibly, her mouth dry, and it takes whatever energy she has left to keep upright. The other wolf is in much better shape than she and her green eyes can’t focus well enough to study her features. Instead, she points her eyes downward and eases forward a few steps to close the space between them. She’d startled Inari before but the roles were reversed now and Hiisi gently—should she be allowed close enough—nudges the other’s chin with a gentle lick of her tongue.
As is usual, the woman observes, watching the other's movements and how she held herself. It'd taken nearly every ounce of willpower she possessed to keep from sniggering, having to swallow down the small sounds to ensure she didn't start off by making a terrible impression. That would get her nowhere, and make her journey a failure, both of which being things she refused to accept. She took the time to then focus her attention upon the stranger, chasing down any awful thoughts and extinguishing them immediately. She couldn't be picky, not this early on.
The woman's mouth moves, almost as if she was trying to say something, but not a sound was made. Sen brushed it off, not bothering to question it. Instead, her gaze lingered on Hiisi as she closed the distance even more, the serpent remaining stock still the entire time. She allowed the stranger to get close only because her posture was nonthreatening, and she doubted any damage could be done anyways. What the woman did, however, had surprised her. She was taken aback, but did not deny the gesture. "Quick to submit, huh?" The question was rhetorical, more a statement than anything else. "Tell me your name."
Hiisi frowns at the question, ears falling back against her head. Inari’s voice had been gentle and she sounds a little more... disinterested. The woman isn’t necessarily impressed by her actions but it made Hiisi shrink a little bit more. She never knows what she’s going to get when she greets but it has yet to deter her decision to approach the next wolf she meets. She just needed a little more time with the other, maybe she could find a softness somewhere.
The next question distorts her features, brows furrowing, and she glances up. She hates this part, hates the exchange, hates… Hiisi closes her eyes then, taking a moment—a little too long not be awkward—before she manages to murmur: “Hiisi.”
It never feels right.
It was not uncommon for Sen to be met with frowns in, well, any encounter, really. More often than not, she was far less than a pleasant sight to see, often pestering or intimidating others—either/or, depending on the type of wolf her partner in conversation turned out to be. Thus far, she'd deemed the other female to be timid, aloof and certainly submissive. Traits that, while sometimes bothersome, were ones she could work with. Play with a mold until they served her properly.
"Hiisi," she repeated, trying the name out. It was unusual, to her at least, but that was something she didn't comment on. Her intentions were not currently to insult others, but rather to gain some form of trust from them. "My name's Sen." Her first card had been played, though even she was not quite sure where the conversation would lead. "Do you always greet strangers like you did me?" Curiosity, partially, but mainly to gauge what her success rate might be. Of course, nothing was even written in stone, but that wouldn't deter her from placing her best foot forward.
The cringe is subtle when the wolf says her name. It doesn’t sound right in someone’s voice either. It never does. Hiisi swallows, shifting on her paws as she lowers to her haunches, and the critical eye of her newest companion doesn’t settle well on her. It doesn’t care. Information. Acid flicks the back of her throat and she slides her tongue across her muzzle.
Hiisi shrugs her answer. She quickly stands again, whines, and she isn’t quite sure what she’s supposed to do with her legs. Shaking her head rattles her thoughts a little bit more before she vocalizes another whine and exposes her throat in apology. As much as it pains her to move again, she takes a step away to take her departure.
The impression was made that the other didn't favour speaking. In response to the snake there came only murmurs or silent, physical answers. She did not complain, however, lacking concern over whether or not someone wanted to vocalize whatever messages they wanted to get across. Whines and body language were good enough for her, even if she herself did not converse in said manner. She much preferred speaking aloud, finding acts to be far more convincing that way. Even if she was not performing this time around, her voice did not leave her.
Sen had been prepared to say something more, but was disrupted by a movement made. Recognizing the attempt in progress, she took action, using her body as a blockade against the woman. The Gorgon had yet to dismiss her, and because of such she felt their time together had not yet reached it's end. "Not so fast," she declared, a prominent 'tsk' clinging to the end of her words. "Trying to leave, huh? Why, do you have a pack to return to?" The corners of her lips twitched, a grin trying to fight it's way through, but for the time being she'd managed to fend it off. In trying to leave, Hiisi had only presented the serpent with an opportunity to fire more questions at her.
Sen cuts her off and the sudden stop makes her grind her teeth. Her legs want to give out beneath her but she manages to keep standing, if only because a stone settles deep in her stomach, sinking as far as it can go. Breathing hitches in the back of her throat and she eases a step back, lifting one paw but the pressure on the other three makes her rethink the action and put it back down. Something more sinister spills from the dark woman and Hiisi’s stomach lurches in response.
Jaws open but nothing falls from them. No answers the other might want, nothing she can think of. They snap shut instead. She shakes her head after a moment despite the urge to lie weighing heavily on her tongue. It might have gotten her out of this, the threat of having others looking for her, but she can’t force it to her tongue. Hiisi remains where she stands, slowly lowering herself a few more inches, hoping to aid Sen’s decision to go easy on her.
Sen did not force an immediate response, instead having decided to wait patiently for one. It was new for her, and made her want to roll her eyes at her own actions, but in the end it seemed to work out. No words were said—something she'd already grown used to—but a gesture was given. The shaking of her head was all the serpent had needed, a grin finally managing to break through. She examined Hiisi then, closer than ever, before snapping back to look at her face. Something was off with her, that much had already been demonstrated, but her health wasn't bad enough to take away her candidacy. For the time being, potential was seen.
"Then come with me." She was blunt, almost painfully so, seeing no reason to tip-toe around the subject. "You don't seem like the fighting type, so follow me and you won't have to." It was a sanctuary they were to host, so it wasn't like she needed to bring back any battle-ready warriors. Hiisi would do just fine, and Sen doubted Depp would turn her away.
Then come with me.
Hiisi’s eyes widen, taking a step back. The pain becomes secondary as her chest feels tight; if she takes another breath she might explode. The rest of the words the dark woman has to offer her goes unheard, a buzzing she can’t decipher, and there’s a tingle below the bridge of her nose that seems all too familiar. She swallows hard and despite the compulsive urge to agree, she shakes her head instead. Green eyes close, hoping to keep a little distance between them with her retreat.
“Hafta go,” she mutters, barely loud enough to hear her own words. “I ha—” she sputters then, a sudden jerk of her head she can’t control. Her back legs give out from beneath her and her head bobs up and down a few times, eyes rolling back. There’s blackness, it’s all she ever remembers, and it’s seconds later that she’s able to look forward again. She’s still sitting upright, but feels miles away from the dark wolf. Her legs tremble and head swims, thoughts drowning and trying to claw their way back to control once more.
A step back, a shake of the head. Sen had expected the female to be an easy target, someone easily persuaded, but that just wasn't the case. She denied her, the offer given, which caused a frown to settle itself deep into the serpent's features. Her initial approach had been a failure, clearly, but that only meant it was time to try another. For as long as she was not in danger, she would remain persistent. Numerous things were present in her mind, plenty of fruits ripe for the picking, and yet she chose not a single one. For events thereafter had inspired her, something that was partially true and partially a lie lingering on the tip of her tongue.
Something happened, an occurrence she was unfamiliar with, yet still saw an opportunity within. "Are you sick?" Sen did not know if she would be heard, or even what had just transpired, but nevertheless the distance between them was shortened. False concern morphed with an equally fictitious expression of shock, gaze reluctant to leave Hiisi's own. "Come with me," she repeated, urging the other woman to accept her offer. "We have an amazing medic. She can help you." Rather, she and Depp could stuff her with some sort of placebo until they actually had a medic. Same difference though, right?
Sen had believed her offer to be tempting, perhaps so much so that there was no chance it'd be turned down—of course, she had been wrong. Rather than accepting her offer, the other woman decided to take her leave. This time around, the serpent did not stop her. It was futile, she'd discovered, and the girl just wasn't worth the trouble. She had places to be and couldn't be glancing over her shoulder every second to ensure the stranger didn't sneak off, making the act of letting her go the only logical solution. The Gorgon had watched her leave, however, half expecting her to realize the mistake she was making, but the thought never hit her. Hiisi had long since vanished from her line of sight before Sen, too, turned and left the area. One miss, sadly, but her next would be a hit for sure.