Wolf RPG

He spent the day after the fated encounter on the road - how unremarkable of him, falling in to the usual pattern despite the disruption that was Niamh. A good disruption... But now he was set in his task. He could not dally, or so he told himself, because Asa was still invested in his hunt. The snow crunched underfoot as he marched along across the open expanse, nearing a slow-moving river. He spied thin sheets of ice in some spots and let out a sigh, his breath a dragon's plume. It would take some effort to locate a safe passageway across this river. Was it worth the energy? Any choice he made at this point was a gamble and that, deep down, was the real issue.

He thought of backtracking for a few hours to seek out the golden woman. Her warmth had been a welcome reprieve from winter's chill. Perhaps he could learn something from her - or her people, he mused. She had been a pack-born wolf, someone native. Who would know more about this land and its people than someone born upon its soil? There were faults in that logic; Asa could not know for sure if she was truly native to this region nor could he expect a random fling to be of use in tracking someone down. It was his own fault for not taking heed of his mother's stories as a boy.

Then, he thought of Humility. He had tried not to think about her for such a long time, so when the vision of her round face and cheerful laughter surfaced in his mind - corporeal enough to transform the whistling wind in to her soft voice - he was briefly gripped by his grief. His rage came next... and he had to stop his hiking to catch his breath, flustered as he was by the memory.

The sounds of someone moving through the wilderness did not cease when he ceased; this was enough of an oddity to rouse Asa from his deleterious thoughts. He need not think of his dead sister, his heartbroken mother, when there were more immediate concerns to address.

The pounding of his racing pulse did begin to ebb, which made the approaching wolf all that easier to detect — and when he turned to stare at the path behind himself, he hoped to see the golden woman. Instead he was met with the pale eyes - and pale everything else - of a young woman. She was soft in every sense: a blushing coat, starlit eyes, and distinct lack of aggression. She was, in a sense, the opposite of everything he'd seen in Niamh. All the same, Asa was pleased to have company.

Hail, he called to her as he turned around, nimbly avoiding a few roots as he closed the distance between them. There was a little over a wolf-length just to be safe. Serene as she appeared, this woman could have been putting on a show to get close to him. One day Asa would not be so suspicious of outsiders, but it wasn't going to happen anytime soon. A few cursory sniffs of the air told Asa everything else he needed to know: that she was a rogue, like himself. Unmoored by any allegiance. What use was she, then, in his hunt?

She passes him a confused look, it is brief. When she introduces herself Asa cannot help but wonder at what prompted the introduction; how odd, to find a stranger in the world and immediately draw out such personal details. It was different from what he expected. Not nearly as intriguing as the coy, direct manner of the last woman he encountered. As an after-thought Asa took a breath - scouring the scents he drew in for signs the woman might be ill, or perhaps afflicted by the season's innate magic to pull opposites together. She did not smell like anything beyond the forest, though. Not sick nor in heat.

He could have introduced himself in turn, but chose not to. Better to get a lay of the land - and its people - before committing to such a thing. In his world, giving a name was only to be done if one wished to give up their power; he did not yet feel that sense, not as he had with Niamh, and so he withheld. Instead he regarded the pale woman with a raise of his brow and the only question that came to mind: Are you in need of something, miss? How may I help you.

Commentary about some goddess piqued his interest a little, but he did not ask for details. Faith was a big part of Asa's life before he got here and he knew how personal it could be, and as he did not wish to alienate the woman, he remained silent. But his gaze did flicker with understanding; they spoke of magic, and he had to wonder just what kind of deity the woman chose to worship. Maybe if he had probed a little bit with questions he could discover more.

But the woman asked him a question and that brought a small smile to Asa's face, banishing whatever thoughts had begun to fester in his mind. Sort of. I wasn't born here but its become a home, more or less. That was a great answer, idiot. Very grey. Very non-specific. The man sniffed at the air - trying to detect if this woman was a local or not, rather than ask her the question directly, and then added: I'm on a quest actually. But he didn't elucidate on that topic yet, not wanting to bog her down with the grim details of his life since she was a stranger.

He smiles, but the warmth of it does not penetrate far. This woman is appealing for her coat and her soft voice but he does not know if he can trust her with all the details, nor does he want to explain himself too deeply. It is hard enough to be under constant watch for this obscure target (with his mind filled with thoughts of his dead sister, no less) versus trying to explain why he was here, what he was feeling, or his family history with the region.

Her question sounds simple; to him it is the opposite. But he regards her with that hesitant smile and with a deep breath, launches in to a simplified version of an answer: I'm tracking someone down who wronged my family. I guess that makes me some kind of knight, or somethin'. A roll of his burly shoulders accompanies this. And what of you? The road is dangerous, more-so for fine women like yourself.

How odd she was. To question why someone would feel compelled to seek revenge - Asa had felt this deep desire to make things right for so long, it was aggravating to have someone ask such a simple (but not so simple) question. His own was answered obliquely; he did not pay much attention to the answer, caught up as he was by a sudden wave of emotion. Although it did not betray across his face.

Someone died. They were killed. He explains with a cold edge to his tone. And someone else must atone for that. I intend to seek them out and I am justified in doing so. Or so he believed. Finally a small frown crept across his face, knitting his brow, and he looked upon the woman carefully. Would you not do the same if your family was threatened?

The woman's response was met with a sneer; a lift of his lip, a flash of teeth. He did not bare his fangs at her outright - that would have been rude, and wrong - but to the sentiment carried in her words. Lenience was not something Asa could afford in his quest. He did not care what backlash there might be in its completion either. If his revenge was sated by harm done to this perpetrator, or if he should be fortunate enough to take the man's life, he would be content. Anyone willing to defend the man he was hunting would be considered an enemy - and if they rose against him too, then Asa would let them take his life. He wanted his sister back.

You don't know my situation. He snaps back at her before he can help himself. With more composure thereafter, he draws in a slow breath and says, farewell, miss.

He then pulled away from her company, his pace hastening with each stride. Powered by a spark of anger and zeal, Asa sought to leave the woman behind so that he could continue his hunt - refusing to see her side.