Cloudy and cold reminded Brynn of home, and she wasn't quite prepared for the way it made her feel. She had admittedly tried to forget her past since finding a home here, and most days it had been fairly easy to do so; she would bury herself in patrols or hunting or whatever else she could find to do which left not much room for any negative thoughts or walks down memory lane. But today as she she moved through the trees of the forest that covered part of their territory, she found it hard to ignore the things she'd rather not think about, and it soured her mood a little.
As a cold breeze lifted the thick fur on her back as she walked, a rustling of leaves in the distance made her stop and whip her head to look in the direction of the sound. She stared at the spot for a few silent moments before shrugging a little and moving again, deciding it was probably some small forest creature fleeing from the scent of a predator. Although she frequently did hunt in these woods, that was not her purpose for being here today; she was just passing through as part of her patrol, and she found the trees to be good places to leave her scent.
Ira paced through the forest, thoughts of her father on her mind. As much as the female wanted to forget about him and just focus on life around her, he always found a way to creep into her thoughts. Part of her wished he really did just disappear after she arrived, at least then she could justify her harsh opinions of the locally beloved wolf.
A cold breeze brought Ira back to the world, a small shiver running along her spine. She wasn't exactly cold seeing how she was used to worse conditions in the mountains, but it was getting colder out and even she could not deny it. One more reason to keep busy. Soon food would be scarce and there were a lot of mouths to feed. The grey-scale wolf paused as the fresh scent of another wolf hit her, perhaps another one of her packmates she had not yet officially met? For once the wolf was just wondering out in the territory to get away and clear her mind, but if another Easthollow member was out here then there was no harm in joining a patrol, right?
Ira picked up her pace until she encountered the warm colored wolf, a familiar face, but not one she had really spoken to. Mind if I join you?
She heard her packmate's approach and pausing her steps, she turned to look at her just as the question left her mouth. She had seen the woman around, but had never really spoken with her. She dipped her head in greeting. Sure,
she said before resuming her patrol.
She turned to the grey female as the moved. I'm Brynn, by the way,
she offered, turning her head back to the ground in front of them. Socializing was not always easy for her, but it was admittedly less difficult within the comfort of the borders and with packmates. Um, I don't think I've ever caught your name,
she added a second later. She probably should have introduced herself before now, but she often got lost in the comfort of her daily routines and often forgot to branch out from that.
The long legged wolf dipped her head in acknowledgement as she moved in beside Brynn. After a moment's pause she would have the name of her new found companion's name. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. You may call me Ira.
She kept her golden gaze ahead of her, ears swivling for any signs of threats. She did not mind the silence as she was never one for idle chatter, but she knew not all wolves felt the same. .....You also keep busy, yes? I have not seen you rest often unless we happen to continuously miss eachother.
Brynn dipped her head. It's nice to meet you, too, Ira,
she offered with a small smile. They walked quietly for a few minutes, which she also didn't mind. Soon, her packmate commented on their lack of running into each other and the fact that Brynn kept busy. She nodded. Yes, I like to keep the borders marked and patrolled, as well as make sure the caches always have food. Winter is just around the corner, so I want to be prepared,
she answered with a small shrug. If she was being completely honest with herself, her tendency to keep busy had a lot to do with avoiding thoughts of her past, or thoughts of the male who had lead her here and then broke her heart, but she was also highly driven by the need to pull her weight and provide for the pack.
She glanced at the woman next to her. What about you? Do you like to keep busy?
she asked, briefly stopping to sniff a tree close by. After deciding it could use more scent on it, she rubbed her thick coat against the bark and then went back to walking beside Ira.
Ira felt some weight lift from her shoulders as Brynn moved to rub up against a tree. Sure she had seen other packmates working to take care of the pack, but she had not heard anyone say they really wanted to keep busy with such tasks. It was a work ethic the mountain wolf could respect. Yes, actually. I am often more suited keeping busy than sitting around gossiping with packmates.
She lowered her nose sniffing at another tree, but decided it was fine to leave it be.
The topic of winter was all to familiar to Ira as she was use to the storming winters in the mountains. She had already noticed the weather dropping, and while she was not sure how cold the lands got in Easthollow, that did not change the behavior of the wild life. Food was growing more sparse.
It was good to hear that they had another seemingly hard-working wolf in the ranks; it made Brynn hopeful that they would be prepared for the winter. Yeah, gossiping really isn't my thing either,
the gamma replied with a shrug. She found gossip to be a waste of time an energy. She had too much of her own shit to deal with without having to worry about whatever drama anyone else had. Plus, she didn't like others in her business, so why would she go nosing around in the affairs of her packmates? She'd much rather keep busy with pack duties and mind her own business
What's your favorite part of the territory?
she asked curiously. The female had been here for a little bit and since it seemed she patrolled a fair amount, Brynn assumed she had probably found a place she was fond of. At this point, the gamma knew the territory inside and out and had a few favorite places of her own.
A bit of comfort found the female as Brynn revealed a similar mindset. She wasn't a fan of gossip, but that did not mean she did not enjoy conversation every now and then. The grey wolf had sadly become accustomed to the lonely sound of her pawsteps echoing through the lands she traveled.
Ira's ears perked as she was addressed again, although she would take a moment to think over the places she had visited in Easthollow. Everything here is very different from the mountains I come from. I enjoy the Pando Clone Forest. The leaves have been very vibrant since the season has changed. There's also a few hidden nooks by the river that are nice. What about you?
Brynn nodded when Ira described some of her favorite parts of the territory. She then asked Brynn the same question, and it was an easy question for her to answer. She knew every inch of Easthollow now due to her very frequent patrols, and it only took seconds for her to pick out some of her favorite places. The forest is probably my most favorite place,
she replied with a small smile. It's especially my favorite place to hunt, or to go when I want to be alone,
Brynn added. She honestly felt like she could be alone most of the time, but even the antisocial delta grew lonely at times.
She slowed her pace to rub against a shrub near the borders, but quickly resumed her patrol, shooting her packmate a small smile as she moved.
Usually Ira kept her eyes fixed to her surroundings, but there was something about the warm colored wolf that drew her gaze. Perhaps it was the fact that she felt she could relate to another wolf, even though they had shared few words. I see...perhaps you could show me some of your spots one day? If you don't mind sharing that is, I understand the urge to have a place just for you.
Her eyes followed Brynn as she shot the smile, a slight hesitation before the hint of a smile touched her own lips.
Catching herself, Ira turned her head suddenly to sniff at a nearby tree before pressed her body up against it.
Brynn smiled again. Sure, I don't mind showing you,
she answered. Aside from her den, she felt like the territory belonged to all of them, and she had no issues sharing her special places. Maybe someone else could get from them what she always did--a peaceful place to think. She stopped to sniff a tree, but felt it held plenty of her packmates' scents, and so she lifted her head and continued walking. She wanted to know more about Ira but was firmly against asking prying questions of those she didn't know very well. She certainly wasn't interested in answering any questions about her past, so why would she expect that from anyone else. Still, it left her racking her brain to find a safe question to ask. She supposed she could just say nothing, but that was weird, right? Right.
Do you like to hunt?
She winced inwardly. It was kind of a boring question, and one that was probably pretty obvious since most wolves liked to hunt, but oh well. It was out so she'd have to stick with it.
The grey-scaled wolf was happy gain the oppertunity to see more of the territory. Perhaps Brynn would be able to show her some places she had yet to discover. New territory was always exciting, so many secrets to discover. Her thoughts started to drift to all the sights she had seen on her way to Easthollow. As if on autopilot, Ira pushed herself up against a tree when Brynn asked another question snapping her back to the present. Ah-- It's ok. In my old pack my role was more centered on combat. I'm afraid my hunting skills are a bit rusty aside from small game.
After remarking the tree she would trot back over to her packmate, ears swiveling. Do you?