Wolf RPG

No news was not always good news. After his—ahem—meeting with Towhee, he head learned nothing new of Raleska or Rusalka. He did his best not to give up hope, but he thought it might be wise to put his search on hold until spring rolled around. Hefting himself through the wilderness when the snow was this deep was not particularly easy. With his allegiance loosely aligned with Jomyo's crew, it probably made the most sense to keep his search limited to that area. Once the spring thaw came, he could return to Towhee's neck of the woods and see if she had come across anything new.

Still, he had to get back to Jomyo, and that meant crossing the wild yet again. He was a little more weary this go around for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the double-fuck he'd given Towhee. The Tartok wolf was rather pleased with himself for that one, even if he would never get a chance to see the results. Trundling through the weald, he sought out signs of any other wolves, lest they know any clues about Raleska's whereabouts.

Winter was none the kinder to her -- harsh winds pierced russet fur and seeped into her bones, shivering as she walked, pelt dusted with pale flakes of snow as it swirled in a dizzying dance from the pale sky above. Sun had just risen, dawnlight illuminating the path before her. She was far from the borders of Courtfall, had been for days and days. The scout felt snow crunch under her paws as she continued walking, weaving through the trees as they reached up towards pale sky, turning rosy pink as the sun continued to creep higher into the sky. 

For the most part, she had been alone during her travels. Andromaque was perfectly fine with this -- she had been surrounded by others while within Courtfall's borders and had grown weary of it. She missed the life of being a wanderer, hence why she had decided that perhaps being a scout was the best for her. There was opportunity for her to be alone, wandering for the benefit of Andraste instead of just for the sake of it.

Yet, today she was not alone.

It was first his scent that she caught glimpse of, intrigued. Perhaps it was a wolf of another pack that she could question. Andromaque turned to follow it, trodding through the woods, leaving a trail of prints behind her as she went. The scout followed the scent until the pale wolf finally came into view and she paused, wondering if this was truly a good idea. Of course, she could hold her own in a fight, and thus far every wolf that she had encountered had been kind to her. Taking a breath, she moved closer, pushing aside her doubts.

"Hello," she called out, words carried along wintry winds, nearly rushed away on the breeze. She had spoken loud enough, however, that her voice was strong enough to carry to him. She stood, head lowered slightly to show that she was not a threat to him, tail wagging behind her.

He'd been seen. It wasn't as if that were a bad thing, though. Kaertok had taken no measures to remain under cover, so he wasn't terribly surprised that he'd been tracked down and spotted. Wolves tended to come together. Curious creatures, they were. The Tartok slowed his gait, eventually coming to a stop and looking over his shoulder until she caught up to him.

She did not appear to be a threat, so Kaertok did not treat her as one. Afternoon, he replied in kind. So far, he had been the one to approach others for information. This was a welcome change, and he awaited to see whatever conversation she had in mind.

She was at a loss for words now, her greeting spoken -- she was not sure if this was a place for introductions of for questions. He had not fled, perhaps a good sign. Andromaque shifted where she stood, a hint of nervousness entering her, a spark of dim flame within caged heart. "Do you call this place home?" The words flow after strained moments of hesitation, the only thing she could think to say while the silence that had fallen between them roared within her skull. She needed to learn the area better, if he was native to it that would be helpful to her. And his response had been kind, not indicative of him wanting her to leave. She remained hopeful.

The dark-faced wolf seemed... uneasy, though he did not understand why. Kaertok did not think he was putting off any signals that should cause her to worry, but maybe she was just the type to worry about nothing at all. He rolled his shoulders back, trying to relax them and make himself appear even less of a threat. To her question, he shook his head. While the wood was aesthetically pleasing, it wasn't really his jam. He preferred spaces that were a bit more open and easier to see in than thick forest.

I live quite a ways east, he replied, gesturing in the direction that Legion had set up camp. It dawned on him that this may very well be a recruitment opportunity, although he wasn't going to jump to any conclusions. Besides, was this even the kind of wolf he wanted to have living off the same land as him? Do you know of a pack called Rusalka? he asked. It was a long shot, but if she knew anything at all, it might move his search along.

She didn't have an answer for him, and so she was of no use to him. Kaertok was then on his way, continuing his journey back home.