The air coagulates in the near distance, where fog hangs like frothed saliva an inch or two above the surface of stillrift. It takes the shape of something compact at first, lunging around the stones towards her. It's got tall ears veeing up, then back as it draws closer.
It grows thicker as Indra stares at it. The ears form against the back, merging, becoming a hump. The girl blinks in slow motion.
As the shimmering shape opens its eyes, one glows fiercely gold. It is like staring at the looming bypass of Rivenwood --
Indra startles awake. She expects to see sunlight glaring down at her but instead it is dark, cold, and she is alone; it is late in the evening. She reaches for her rabbit in a daze as she seeks comfort from the strange dream -- then remembers the offering.
It is indeed dark and cold as Pandora lingers around the valley in the dim hours of night. Foreboding and gloomy to most, but Pandora is indifferent to things such as this. She’s used to being alone most of the time, unless she’s found a poor man to bother and mess with.
Still, she finds herself meandering around the dark fog of Bearclaw Valley. Her form blends in with the snow, but the pale light of the hardly there moon makes her form seem almost ethereal in the sickly light. Especially as she stalks up to the edge of the place a young girl seems to be being held. Her head tilts and her full tail swishes elegantly high in the air.
“Well, hello there,” Pandora would chime smoothly. Her voice isn’t the deepest, but it is smooth and silky. “And what are you doing down there all by yourself, little one?” A mischievous smile would come to her lips as her wine red eyes gleam in the low light the moon provides them.
A voice in the dark startles Indra. She withdraws, coiling together her long limbs and hunkering against the dry earth of stillrift. The shadows of boulders kept her partially obscured - but so too did they hide the stranger.
In the sparse light of the mooon, not yet full but leaning towards it every evening, Indra thought she saw a ghost. It glimmered like fog coalesced on the edge of her vision.
She blinked and tried to force the lingering confusion of the dream from her mind, swallowing something down, burying pieces of herself. Unable to speak, as she cowered.
Pandora isn’t able to get an answer and instead sees the blob of shadowed fur curl closer in on herself. This would make the ghostly woman tilt her head with interest and perhaps a touch of irritation. What are they so afraid of? Pandora is but a small, defenseless mutt. Or so many say.
Still, she wouldn’t allow herself to become angry with whoever hides themselves from her. After all, being treated and/or treating someone like shit never gets anyone anywhere.
So she would move into a patchy spot of moonlight so her form could be illuminated better. So these this wolf could see that she is practically harmless. Especially as a smile graces her face.
“No need to fear, I’m Pandora, a new resident here. Why do you hide?” She wonders to them out loud. “Come on out and tell me who you are.” She’d coax gently, but not extremely motherly like.
The stranger came closer -- Indra could hear her. Whether it was a ghost or some kind of figment of her dreams shifting in the night, it was hard to ignore the presence. The voice.
She saw this as another test. That's what these people did: make exchanges. Indra immediately wondered what this one was after -- and the command came.
Come on out --
The girl shoved her fear as deep as she could; the strain made her eyes water and they glistened in the moonlight. But, she moved. She came out slowly from her hiding place, her body shaking.
There’s an obvious power struggle between the girl and her fears, but eventually Pandora is met with the soft, terrified form of a young wolf. Her pelt is deep red and fiery, it catches her eyes in the light of the moon. Pandora’s expression stays mostly the same. The smile on her face isn’t teasing, rather it’s fairly soft and inviting, eyes squinting softly from the motion.
Her blood red eyes meet her shivering and shaking form and Pandora tilts her head at her. “Why do you shake? Are you afraid of me?” She asks then. “What’s your name, little one?” She wonders again, trying to coax anything from the shivering girl before her.
The woman takes note of many things, most of which Indra remains oblivious to. When she asks after the girl, and then her name, Indra doesn't know what to do. This one doesn't bring a gift so she cannot tell what is expected of her; so far everyone who has visited has wanted something, and each situation had become a transaction.
The girl was trying not to stare at the pale woman. She stole glances, or looked and blinked away. Her ears turning to the questions. What if this was another lesson?
I'm Indra,
she murmured, her voice low and almost sombre. It felt scratchy on her tongue. I'm.. cold, n'hungry,
but she didn't want to complain. These wolves served the bear, and the bear had saved her from the cave. The bear was keeping her here.
Wh... wha, who, are you?
She ventured boldly, struggling. Indra rarely slept these days and only ate, only drank, when her caretakers came and made her.
She seems shy and scared, not bearing to look Pandora in the eyes for longer than half a second. She wonders what has befallen this girl to act such a way, but here in this pack it could be anything. By the looks of it she may just be a prisoner. Judging by the seclusion and inability to get out of the trench she finds herself in. Then the question begs itself: what if Pandora helped her out? Oh surely she’d be dead woman herself then. Could this little girl be trusted out on a hunt with the cunning white witch? Perhaps not, but still, she entertains the thought in her mind anyway. After all this girl is already bigger than her and maybe she got some spunk too. Pandora doesn’t fight.
Eventually though, she’s getting a name out of her and more answers too. She’s cold and hungry. How sad is that. Though Pandora does lack most empathy, she feels a touch for her. And she even asks for Pandora’s name as well, how very brave of her.
So Pandora would smile down to her. “Well, I’m Pandora.” She hums then. “And you’re Indra, who is cold and hungry. So tell me, what are you doing down there? And can you be trusted out on a hunt with me? I could try and help you out…” She purrs the idea, but her tone is littered with what ifs. If she does try and help her out (if she even can) can she trust her not to run?
Until her time within Ursus she did not consider what it had meant exactly — hunting.
It was something they talked about within Rivenwood; she had spied on enough of the adults to know that was where most of their injuries came from.
Nobody had ever asked her to hunt before. That was something the adults did; they'd go away for a while and leave Indra to pine for their company or the spoils of their work.
I live here.
She would go on to answer the pale woman. A concerned look crossed her features for a moment before clarifying, becoming bright.
The bear saved me, so I'm here now. I... I stay here.
Indra no longer doubted that there had been a bear within the cave as she'd fled from Rivenwood, as her survival hinged upon how convincing her conversion could appear to the adults, and at some unknowable point along the way she'd forgotten to pretend.
I live here. She says and Pandora breathes out a chuckle at the obvious words. Yes, it does indeed seem like she lives here. It also seems like she lives in this inescapable trench for a reason as well. For what reason is she trapped there, Pandora has not the slightest clue.
Then she surprisingly speaks of the bear next and Pandora perks her ears in interest. “Oh? The bear saved you did he?” She hums softly then.
All this pack speaks of is the bears. Probably because they worship the ungodly creatures. How odd of them. She sees bears as nothing but another creature among the grass just as her. She wonders what has struck such an interesting belief in these wolves to think otherwise. To think that bears are something to be worshipped. Perhaps she could ask Merrick about it sometime or that pretty dark woman with the red accents.
“Hmm, well, if you live here why are you confined to this trench then, love? Do they not see you as an equal? Are you being punished?” She pries even more, curiosity for the situation getting the better of her. Poor girl, she’s probably just as confused as Pandora.
This had to be another test. A game. Indra listened to the woman speak and naturally picked it all apart, trying to understand. What was the lesson here? Who was this woman, really. Indra began to entertain the thought: this woman was made-up; nobody could exist with a body that white and eyes that red, and be real. She was lonely enough to have done it herself.
I dunno,
the girl answered.
She really didn't. So far as she was aware, the bear had chased the scary man away and brought her here. She'd never had the strength to climb the cliffside alone.
I don' think I'm in trouble,
she murmured after a moment to think. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her belly tucked more than it should've been at her age. Not an ounce of baby fat left upon her body after weeks of the bare-minimum of meals; but still she innocently believed herself to be safe - because the bear had rescued her.
It somehow seems the girl has absolutely no answers for her. Which is odd all on its own. She continues to say she doesn’t think she’s in trouble, but then why would she be buried in a trench, unable to leave? Her bones show a bit more than they should and she acted scared as all get up when Pandora first approached her. There’s definitely a missing puzzle piece here somewhere. It’s not her business though, she concludes.
So, deciding she’s probably going to regret this decision she sighs. Maybe she could help her out, so she could take the girl on a hunt. Or maybe, she should talk to Merrick about it first. Her brain keeps handing out what if scenarios about her escaping and then Pandora gets eaten for it.
She seems young, much younger than pandora, and yet she is bigger than her. Would she even be able to help her out? She almost doubts it. She’s not strong enough.
Eventually, after keeping silent for about a minute. Pandora hums in contemplation. “Well, is there a way for me to help you out so I could take you on a hunt? If you’re not in trouble that is…” She hums in question, offering her a cock of her head and a smile. “But you’d have to go right back in after we’re done. I don’t want to get in trouble.” She laughs afterwards.
Indra didn't know what to make of this stranger now that they'd conversed at length. It couldn't be a ghost; but it couldn't be someone who understood the people here, either. Maybe this lady didn't know the one-eyed man or the kind woman with the medicines, or the dark boy who brought rabbits.
The girl was uncertain about her answer. On one hand yes, she wanted her freedom, she wanted to participate in something beyond the idle conversations that the strangers brought to her - but on the other, if this was a trick or a test, Indra needed to know for certain before she could make up her mind. She didn't want to be in trouble; she didn't think of herself as being a damsel in distress (despite the obvious), and neither did she want to disappoint a potential friend.
I'll go,
she agreed, cautious and nervous and all manner of disjointed. —but I dunno how to do it, they... they bring me food, I don't go get it myself.
The seven-month-old was as sheltered as one could imagine a captive audience to be.
It’s seems the young girl is coming around and this makes Pandora smile a bit. She can be the fun aunt here she guesses, doesn’t seem like these Ursus wolves allow her much freedom — but that probably for a reason.
So with the girls nervous answer she chuckles. “Then come, help me find a spot to pull you up.” She exclaims with quiet excitement. “We got to be secretive okay? Don’t want to get in trouble.” She says wink a wink. Pandora likes to live life on the edge of danger, she’s not sure this girl thinks the same.
With that, pandora would move around the edges of the hole, looking for the least steep part so maybe she could climb and Pandora could pull her the rest of the way out. Eventually, she finds one that might just work and she’s calling Indra over easily.
“Come, come. If you can climb a bit, I’ll grab you and help pull you out.” She hums with a beaming smile.
The easiest way up was the obvious path that the adults oft followed, and it was this that Indra traced with her eyes. She didn't want to get her new friend in trouble, or herself for that matter, and having the stranger find a new route didn't sit well with her.
Here,
she murmured, seeking the smoothed ridges upon which Merrick would watch her from, or Aventus would climb down on his way with rabbits. Indra was quick to find her way but the higher she climbed, the more the path bent away from Pandora. If she stayed this course she would be free of stillrift but emerge where the path bisected a patrol route.
You're sure we can-- I can, come out?
She whispered hastily as she climbed.
They both scout for a place to get her out of that wretched prison. Pandora follows along the edge when finally the girl calls to her with a here, which Pandora eagerly skips over to. The pale woman watches with a smile as she begins to climb up the rocks with a nervous aura about her.
Are you sure we can — I can, come out? She asks and at that, Pandora barks out a vibrant laugh.
“You gotta live a little, girl!” Pandora exclaims happily with a cheeky smile. “And sitting around in this cesspool isn’t any way to live, am I right?” She hums with a fun tilt of her head. “Plus, it’ll just be a quick little hunt and you’ll go right back in — how will they know?” She comments with a shrug and laugh.
The woman spoke with such confidence that Indra felt stupid for asking. She was still slow to climb out of the pit, still looking to the shadows as if something or someone might emerge from them and cast her down again.
It wasn't quite enough to assuage her fears but Indra wanted desperately to be free, to trust in someone, as well as be useful. Maybe if she succeeded in this hunt then Indra would win favor with the wolves here - at the very least there was a chance the bear was watching, judging.
The girl still seems nervous, but Pandora tries to help her nerves by keeping that same smile and that confident attitude. When she’s close enough to the edge, the pale woman leans down and grabs teeth onto her scruff in an attempt to help pull her out. Though, despite the girls age, she is a touch bigger than Pandora herself so she struggles in her attempt to help her out.
Eventually, they would hopefully lift her from her stony prison and Pandora would huff out an exerted breath. “Ah! Okay!” She exclaims with excitement. “No time to waste, girlie. Let’s go!” She says and boops Indra’s snout with the plume of her tail before she starts trotting off.
“I smelt the trail of a rabbit when I made my way over here. Hopefully we can find it again.”
She was out of the pit. Beside her was the fine-boned, pale creature that had come to rescue her, at least for a little while. Indra hadn't enjoyed the feeling of teeth against her nape too much, as it brought back the memory of the cave where the scary man had been and the bear, which was hazy at best. But, she was quick to put that aside.
Her mouth felt dry. She felt her heart racing at a beat she hadn't felt in quite a while, and as uncomfortable as that was, nothing would ease the sensation. Indra listened to the woman, hearing praise as well as a plan, and it brought some calm to the girl. She had never hunted anything before and, truth be told, didn't know what such a task involved.
She was also worried that she'd be caught outside of the rift. The nagging feeling that this was a trick could not be put aside.
The pale woman led her away from the rift in what felt like a random direction, and Indra kept herself low and quiet the entire time, more out of fear than prowess. What was she looking for? She knew rabbits were food and that their ears were soft (they were her favorite part, those ears) and looked to Pandora frequently for clues.