Wolf RPG

the sun was setting and the mist continued to roll onto the landscape.

iseul was far. far from home and far from where she started. everything this winter had been a blur. days had melded into each other, and the sun and moon's eternal dance with one another felt tiring. this feeling of winter melancholy was new to iseul, and it was something that she didn't appreciate all that much. she would have preferred being home, eating the seasonal foods her mother would prepare with tender and loving paws. 

now, the girl was hungry, saliva pooling and dripping from coal-black lips. this hunger has lasted a while now, for the girl has lost weight since arriving in the wilds. iseul knows that this type of vacant lifestyle of traveling more and eating less would not be the lifestyle she wanted to live.

so upon coming to the scent of what possibly could be a border, the girl stops. the river cuts across the land, separating the isle from iseul. and for a moment, she wonders if there is good reason for the land to be separating her from whatever inhabitants are on it. being wary was part of her nature and it was perhaps one of the only things that have kept her alive thus far.

a low-pitched howl comes from her, asking for an audience should there be one. she knew better than to step somewhere that held the scents of others.

Ulrich heard the howl and went to meet it warily. It was strange how many had come to visit the isle all within a short time. And by "many" Ulrich meant three, which was far too many for his liking. However, the first two had been harmless and he was slowly growing accustomed to the idea of entertaining visitors. Always it made him anxious to meet someone along one river or another, but at least in case of a confrontation, whoever wanted to fight him would have to cross the river first, which would leave them at a disadvantage. Especially in winter, when the river was half-frozen.

He found her soon enough and studied her from afar. The water was sluggish with ice, so quiet enough for speech to take place across the way. Vaguely, he wondered how this would be remedied in the warmer months when the river would roar loudly. All those wishing for a conversation would have to meet him at a quieter bend, he supposed.

Hello, he began, ignoring the tight anxiety in his chest at meeting another stranger. Can I help you? At least he was no longer openly hostile towards others.

a shadow approaches, though his words are warmer than she expected from him. 

here, she bows to him. not just as a greeting, but as a sign of respect. considering the years he wore under his belt compared to the young woman, iseul knew her place when it came to those of her age and elders. upon his question, she soon rises, though does not meet his full gaze.

"need home." is what she would tell him quietly, shifting the weight between her large and cumbersome paws. "is... this a home?" her english was becoming a bit stronger, though it could still use more practice getting through the words phonetically. "this smells like others." 'this' of course refers to the land, though iseul could always try to explain due to the language barrier she felt that she struggled with at times. but for good measure, her paw reaches to sway in front of her, hoping a more physical message might get across easier.

The young woman bowed to him and Ulrich couldn't help the discomfort he felt. Please, there's... no need for that, he said. He remembered Makan, who had nearly gone belly-up in his need to show that he meant no harm, and he didn't need a repeat of that.

Ulrich sighed quietly at her words. It seemed the isle had become a refuge for those with nowhere else to go. He could not make up his mind about whether or not he liked that. He was glad that those who joined seemed to trust him enough to stay, but what if something dire happened? Would silent little Makan and this quiet, subservient woman help if he needed soldiers in a fight? Did they even know how to fight. He prayed he would never have to find out. But he would not turn anyone away, if he could help it. That was something his previous king would have done, and he wanted nothing to do with that man.

This can be your home, if you wish it, he told her. I am Ulrich. My wife, Adylaide, and I run this small pack. If you join the Isle, you will be expected to work. You will hunt and fight when necessary, but otherwise your work will be whatever you want it to be--whatever you excel at. He paused, trying to think of what else to add. Adylaide and I are your leaders, but you are also our equals. Your voice matters here. Do you understand?

she saw his discomfort and wondered about his customs. he did not hold the tongue of her land, so perhaps the bow was seen as a strange way to greet someone. iseul would stew on this concept later, however.

the words come and she does her best to pick out what she can understand. she hears words she had never heard before, but thankfully it was just the names of the husband and his wife who lived here. the rules seem simple, and she was a bit surprised to hear the term 'equal' be used to refer to one another. traditionally, iseul was used to her parents having the last say in her family. the sense of independence yet still remaining in a group surely interested her.

she nods to him. "can hunt, can fight for ulrich." this she would assure him, as it sounded to be the most important aspect of being accepted here. as much as she would never admit it, iseul was a bit of a bully when younger and tossed her sister around a bit due to being bigger. and beyond the few scruffles she got into as an adolescent, she liked to think she was going to be able to handle herself here. 

thankfully, his name was at least a little easier on the tongue than others she has heard before.

Ulrich heard the accent in her words now, which explained her stilted sentences. So the Isle had one mute, and one whose first language was something other than his. He hoped he would not completely fail at communicating with these two. Like Makan, this young woman seemed so eager to please, as if desperate for a home here. As if she had nowhere else to go. It was winter and that meant prey was scarce and the temperatures were dangerously low, especially at night. He worried about finding enough prey to feed them all now, but if they could just make it til spring, it would be easier. They could build up better caches, preferably next fall.

What is your name? he asked the girl, gently. I welcome you to Two Rivers Isle, but I don't know your name yet.

eager to please, perhaps that was always going to be bred into the blood of the Yoon family. from the day she was whelped, iseul had plans of being the family provider and following in the true steps of filial piety as she had been told since she was small. and yet, she was far away from her parents, and very likely she would never see them again.

but perhaps the universe worked in mysterious ways, and iseul would learn to serve others, as well as herself. when he asks for her name, she looks up at him for a moment cautiously. "Yoon Iseul," she would tell him, "but... just Iseul."

it was customary to introduce oneself using the last name first, although Iseul was told that this custom was actually backward in the states. and while her name came out as it normally would back at home, she decided that it would be best to just keep it simple for Ulrich's sake.

Iseul, Ulrich repeated, tasting the name on his tongue. It was strange compared to the names he was used to back home, but he was not home anymore. In fact, no. This was his new home, and here, people would, of course, be named differently than he was used to. Perhaps that was a good thing. Nothing to remind him of all the horror he had left behind.

Welcome to Two Rivers Isle, Iseul, he said with a smile. Follow me, and I'll show you a safe place to cross the river. All right? He began to move parallel to the river, and then stopped for a moment to make sure she was following. Since her native tongue was not his, he needed to be sure she understood him. Soon, he had her across the stepping stones and over on his side of the river. Next, he would show her around, if she let him.

[Fade?]

when he says her name, she offers a small smile and a nod to him. it was the first time in a bit since someone was able to refrain from verbally expressing how her name was different from others. in many ways, iseul is continuously reminded that she is a foreigner in this land and that it will take time to be able to call this home.

she would follow where he guided and once stepping over the stones, she'd join his side. her body position remained neutral, perhaps a bit lowly even when standing next to the man. and for the first time since even arriving in these forsaken wilds, iseul had a home that she was able to get all on her own.

her mother would be proud.