All welcome! No need to match the length :D
A soft coating of snow blanketed the rolling fields beyond the wilds in flawless white. Coupled with the fluffy, marbled grey clouds in the sky, it was a picture-perfect landscape fit for the back of a postcard. Only a small black smudge of charcoal marred the otherwise pristine scene. Picking its way across the fields, the smudge continued to ruin the landscape, leaving a trail of paw prints and disturbed snow in its wake. A slight breeze pulled at its dark fur, leading it away from the fields that seemed to never end, in towards a forest of tall, pale trees with vibrant yellow leaves.
It was the first time Nyo had seen such trees and he observed them with only mild curiosity, hunger keeping him from truly stopping to enjoy the view. His legs quivered from exhaustion but he continued to push forward, having picked up the scent of fresh water and the accompanying scent of...bird? He wasn't sure. But the promise of water was enough to keep him moving until he finally came across the small lake, frozen at the edges but still relatively untouched by winter for the moment.
Unfocused eyes filled with sudden excitement, the boy stumbled through an unexpected snow drift before reaching the lakes edge, sliding slightly on the icy shore. His front legs plunged into the freezing water but he didn't care, dunking his head under and taking breathless gulps from the lake as if he had just crossed the Sahara desert.
Pheasant clutched in her muzzle, the naiad trekked through the banks of snow with a miserable expression on her features. The chilling wind was enough to cause her irritation, but the snow had risen high enough in some areas that she could scarcely walk through it. Oftentimes, when the woman trailed away from Ankyra Sound, she found herself longing to return immediately. Eos had grown attached to the beach and the dank grottos that surrounded her home. She had found hope in her Alpha and the system with which their pack had been founded. There was never a time that she doubted the ability of what they were hoping to achieve, but she did find their dwindling numbers to be something of an issue. She thought, once, that she could coerce travelers to take up their beliefs and fall into their ranks, but there were very few lone wolves in the frigid cold of winter.
Trailing the edge of the lake with careful steps, Eos heard a peculiar sound from just ahead of her. Lifting her muzzle upwards, her ocean-colored gaze settled on the dark figure of a wolf who had submerged his entire head in the lake. An expression of disgust creased her features at the sight of him, and her leathery lips curled downward in a heavy frown. He did not carry the scent of a pack on his pelt, and so she wondered what it was that brought him to their lands… what was it that he was seeking. Perhaps he was only plagued by a crippling stupidity. It was the only reason she could see in braving the frigid waters.
Trotting forward, the naiad closed the distance between her and the dark figure. Peering at him silently, the woman wondered whether or not she should be sure he wasn’t killing himself. Her mouth was watering with the scent of pheasant wafting up through her nose. Letting out a quiet chuff to the male, Eos narrowed her brows and waited for him to emerge from his drink.
As cold as the waters were, Nyo continued to drink in a desperate frenzy, his tail beginning to wave happily behind him. He had forgotten what it was like to have a full belly again, even if it was only filled with water. He had eaten one too many bitter-tasting patches of snow that he refused to eat from it another time, instead waiting until he came across a fresh water lake like the one he stumbled across today.
Finally satisfied, the boy lifted his head to take a gulp of air, not realising he hadn't breathed for a full minute. To think, he had finally come across something that would promise at least another few days worth of travel, only to have almost drowned himself in it. He would have laughed if he hadn't suddenly found himself gasping and struggling for breath. Despite the hacking noises he was making, the unexpected sound of a soft bark caught his attention. Quickly turning his sodden head, Nyo searched the banks for whatever had just made that sound.
He had hoped to see maybe a small bird or rodent but, instead, was greeted with the sight of a lithe female figure. He noted her furrowed brow and stared back, eyes wide from both his fit and the surprise of seeing another wolf. How long had it been? Winter seemed to have swept away all traces of wolves in the wild, though no doubt many were sticking close to their pack lands as the days grew colder. He continued staring, unsure how to react, his eyes flicking down to the pheasant she held in her jaws and feeling his own mouth begin to water.
The dark creature lifted his head upwards and began to hack loudly. Eos narrowed her brows only slightly and blinked her eyes at him. She was not entirely certain whether she was concerned for his wellbeing or if she was simply perturbed by the fact that he had survived for such a long time. He did seem to be something of a miracle to the woman.
Eos did not frequently find herself intrigued by males, but this one was interesting. She had been bred to believe that they were an inferior gender, and within the ranks of Ankyra Sound, they seemed to have been structured in a similar fashion. It would not be uncommon for her to speak down to such creatures, whether they had done something wrong or not. In that particular case, the naiad was so stunned by him that she was not certain she could form a proper sentence. The bird was still stuffed in her mouth, and she did not think to drop it in order to speak to him. So, when she did finally attempt to inquire if he was alright, it came out in quite a jumble.
“Whht ahre yuu ding?” she sputtered through the feathers of the bird. Squinting her eyes at her own sentence formation, the female lowered her head and set the pheasant on the ground in front of her paws. “I apologize… what on earth were you doing in that water?” she spoke once more, this time in a strange tone. It was not the manner in which she addressed him, but the look in her sharp eyes that suggested her oddity. Then again, if Nyo knew anything of where she traveled from, he would have turned tail.
The scent of the slain bird the stranger held slowly drifted towards Nyo and his nose wiggled as he took in the delicious smell. His stomach gurgled quietly as he tried to remember when was the last time he had eaten a proper meal — he was no hunter, that was for sure. This was evident by his thinner than usual frame. Although, the woman was around his size also and she had managed to fetch herself quite a feast (and a bird, no less). He toyed with the idea of perhaps stealing it from her, but figured his chances of success would be slim. Orange eyes quickly glanced from the strangers prey to her narrow face as she spoke, words slightly muffled before she dropped the pheasant and corrected herself.
"Oh, I..." he started, glancing back to the partially frozen lake. "...w-was thirsty." Hadn't it been obvious? As if to demonstrate, the boy licked the water from his soaking chin. The fur there already had begun to freeze at the tips, giving him an appearance that was as wild as the strangers own fur. She seemed to be unsuited for the current weather, slight in build and the colour of sand. Maybe she was from a warmer place? "Most lakes have...f-frozen over."
Eos was not foolish. She knew well enough how hungry the male must have been. Lone wolves did not survive well in the frigid months. Her expression remained neutral as his eyes trailed the catch she had claimed, although her internal thoughts were smug and vicious. For a moment or two, the naiad allowed her sea-colored gaze to roam his frame. While he was not emaciated, there were few spots on his body where bone jutted instead of rolling with clean muscle and build. The woman wondered if it would be viable to attempt to bring the male into the ranks of the Sound. She also pondered if he would be so foolish to accept such an offer from the sea-wolf.
Mentioning his thirst, Eos drew her dark lips upwards in the smallest of smiles and nodded her head slowly. “I see… are you not cold?” she then inquired, tilting her head to the right. “You ought to come with me to the coast. We have grottos that make for a comfortable home in these frigid months,” she then baited with a misleading smile.
Motioning with her head, the sea-wolf gestured for the two of them to move away from the edge of the water. “Walk with me. I will share my catch with you,” she tempted the dark-furred stranger. Her ocean-colored optics danced at him with a quick spark and she lowered her skull to scoop her pheasant into her teeth once more. If the witless lad did not follow, it would be no loss to the siren. She would find other victims elsewhere.
So she was from somewhere warmer. At least, in Nyo's experience and from what he had been told, coastal regions were a far different climate than the forests he had grown up in. He had never seen the ocean before but knew a bit about it — such as how vast and savage it was. Nyo much preferred calm, quiet woodlands but the promise of a warm cave to hole up in for the winter made him think twice. Though he only stared back in acknowledgment of the stranger's proposal, it was wildly tempting.
Returning her smile with a small nod, he hesitantly stepped out of the icy water and begun to trot towards the girl, ears suddenly perking up as she offered to share her meal. Hunger twisted at his stomach and his eyes once more drifted to the bird. A small voice nagged at him, told him to turn away and find somewhere else. She was oddly welcoming to the loner, though Nyo did not have much experience with pack wolves so far, apart from his own. Perhaps they were simply more friendly in this place? Ignoring the voice, the boy fell into step with the other, tearing his eyes away from the pheasant and up to her vivid gaze. "Y-you live near the coast?" he questioned.