Wolf RPG

Finally, something that looked familiar. Snow-covered, but familiar. She had been to the vale before, though it had been quite a length since she thought she would have returned to it. Scant memories flooded back as she trekked through an open expanse of ground, but she was quick to push them away. Some of the arrogance that had filled her before was eerily missing, but that had a lot to do with the fact that she had no pack backing her up. No Tonravik, no Tartok installation to speak of. While very much still a wolf belonging to the expansive clan, she was rogue as ever. Her pathway across the snowy field was jagged in part of her having no real direction to go. She wasn't there scouting out some mountain to park herself upon, but today she wasn't even out hunting.

Echelon honestly hated the listless sort of travelling she was doing. She had given up primarily on finding Tonravik, having no real idea where her superior had disappeared to weeks ago. Once again, she couldn't help but wonder if that hadn't been apart of some long con, some epic plan that involved leaving her behind somewhere. Maybe there was a message beneath it all that she had missed. Optimism wasn't her strong suit, so any notion that sounded hopeful became damn near outlandish on principal alone. She huffed, making a lazy turn from the cover of forest to keep herself in the warmth of a distant sun. Echelon knew she'd have to figure out things sooner than later. She'd have to make a decision, whether to make the attempt to pursue Tonravik, or remain in the wilderness for some indeterminate amount of time.

Around the next bend in the path, Echelon soon discovered it was blocked by a furry body. That was enough to slow her gait considerably as she drew in the sights of the brunette, unaware that the feminine roadblock had stumbled across something of interest. It was the caution that made Echelon leery, but that was a message she betrayed swiftly. Her small stature drew itself up into something a touch more dominant than what had been wandering along; her attention was safely fixed on the unfamiliar canine. If it had been her intention to steer Echelon clear of the path ahead, she had only done enough to draw more attention to it.

Chuffing at her as she drew close, Echelon brought her pace to a stop. She wanted her to move, of course, but it was also just as easy to go around her. No, it was the boldness she sought out in the other, the one who had bothered to be watching and waiting for her in the first place. What business did they have around here? Were they also from the spires that lurked overhead of them somewhere? There were more questions she wondered about, but none of them came to her lips. She was arrogant enough to suspect she would soon find out, though.

Hiiii!

[size=small]Brunette ears went forward as the woman excused the silence between them. It was a generic sound but nevertheless Persephone understood it. The situation was no more than it appeared to be -an unintended circumstance. Still, they were unknown to one another and as loners their nearness alone was too much. Retracting two steps so that the immediate trail to the doe was covered, in this way the Redleaf-DiSarinno made both an atonement and a evasion. She didn't want to let the female in on her find on any terms other than her own.

Eased by the at least momentary success of her little diversion the yearling poised herself to advance. Even they were not immune to certain social norms. Taking her time so as not to bother her fellow vagabond, she came at her straight with a neutral attitude. Raising her own head into the air she interrogated it while finishing her approach. From what she gathered they were more alike than not. For both were young females responsible for themselves -and well traveled. Wanting to know more concerning her adventures she attempted to round the female and sniff her butt . [/size]

Wary of the approach that came, Echelon returned to the passing favor. The likely things to ascertain, female, on their own, it was easy to sift through. But as the younger female moved to circle her, the small Phase turned to follow her. It was a note of distrust and one that Echelon had no qualms about sharing with the world. Even if the gesture was meant to be simple and purely for the sake of filling in the unspoken blanks, Echelon wasn't about to let her out of her sight. There was something far too unfamiliar about the yearling that left her wondering what she was entirely up to.

She curled a lip up to reveal a glimpse of her teeth — a warning. The closeness was not overly appreciated, but she'd give her a chance to rectify the situation. With winter upon them, Echelon hardly knew what to expect for any wolves that could have been native to the region. For all she knew, she had landed smack dab in the middle of crazy. Her last visit to this particular area hadn't gone so well either, though the details of that were long gone and fuzzy.

[size=small]The averse reaction was not unseen. Deterred, the brunette withdrew with a snort. Backing into her figurative corner she seared. Embarrassed for having been rebuffed, the remorse was evident in her own creased expression. Lowering her bristled head, she countered with an averted menace. It would be a restrained concession but a concession none the less.

Grousing once more she shook before staring down the end of her narrow face. There she saw the intermixed prints and thought of a distraction. Either she and the nameless could make something of their likeness or continue to stand around miming one another. Tracing them in the snow she went a little bit further from the loner before wuffing at her. Not to follow, as she had proven too strict to allow herself to be led. Instead, she invited her to scrutinize the pattern and decide for herself.[/size]

Watching quietly as the brunette loner began to move along, Echelon wondered if she would return to her place further up the path. It would have seemed she had no interest in doing so, however gently her veering trail was from it. Something else had caught her interest and that something was also enough to capture Echelon's as well. At the invitation, the inky Phase moved in a little closer, testing the air between them as she brought her attention down to the terrain.

Initially, Echelon did not discern what kind of prints they were. The snow dampened any true scent that could have been left via sweat or whatever they had stepped into. She doubted the likelihood that they belonged to a predator, but for all she knew it could have. She had little idea of the full range of monsters that could have easily existed there. Bears were a strong possibility, but it was no bear track. The snow melt obscured whether or not it was dainty enough to belong to a deer, but that was also a strong possibility. Pointedly after that note, she drew her gaze back to the brunette, wondering the point of why she had offered to show her such things. Had she been tracking something?

I love how they're mute for no reason lol

[size=small]Keen ears strained towards a sound. It was remote -inconsistent in its overtness. However, she remained certain of both its existence and cause. Somewhere in the distance, the doe had found her fellow shorthorns and together they were escaping. Bothered by this assumed threat, the ambitious Redleaf-DiSarinno turned back with haste. There was a new insistence in her stare now as she searched the obsidian for her answer.

However, she instead found the same dubious face as the stranger stood in the mess she had made. Having forgotten this, Persephone restrained her nerves. Going back once more with a brisk tread, she came shoulder to shoulder with the loner before pouring her nose over the space. Ok -so, she was right. There was nothing there kudos to the brunette's earlier footwork. Snarling to herself over the otherwise limited means of convincing, she snatched herself out of this a moment later and retraced her course. Going forward again, she paused for a final time to direct the woman with her nose. If this was going to work she was going to have to push just as much as Persephone pulled. Otherwise, their offbeat likeness would be for not.[/size]

Past the brunette, Echelon had indeed spotted the prints in the snow as they eked a way out through the encroaching forestry. It was easier to pretend that she didn't see them, not that they were easily spotted anyway. It wasn't too much of a stretch for her to also presume that they could have come from the other. Anything was possible, wasn't it? These thoughts were cut short as she found the other female returning to her side, looking over the mess of scratch marks and footsteps, only to make a sound that Echelon wasn't sure to call. A snarl yes, but the meaning behind it garbled. Was she mad at the mess of tracks? Upset they were unreadable? Perhaps she shouldn't have been standing on them for so long.

But she understood the gesture that was made at the next interaction, only then did she feign lack of interest. The prospect of a hunt was difficult to pass up, especially in the withering state that she found she had descended into. Something more than just a meager morsel from the leftovers of a pack that couldn't carry their haul would have been nice. But her feigned disinterest spoke volumes and most important, the key one of them all. Why should she help and what was in it for me?

Thanks for the thread! Sorry if it wasn't terribly thrilling!

[size=small]The woman remained cemented in indifference and there was nothing more that the brunette would do about it. Sitting, as though to further announce their evident stalemate. A look of unrest riddled her features. This was the reason for their lonesomeness -stubborn wills. For neither wanted to impress the other, no matter the obvious retribution that it would allow. Sneezing as she stood, Persephone watched her would be twin a moment before turning.

The deer were still out there and, the hunt was still on as far as she was concerned. With not much else to do she intended to follow them through the nomad lands -thinning their numbers here and there. Pinned on this idea, she formed a smile. However, if she wanted that then it meant their meeting was done. Using her tail as a gesture of farewell, she looked back one final time with an open but still wordless mouth. Perchance their trails would cross again but if not the Redleaf-DiSarinno wasn't bothered enough to carry harsh feelings.

Starting off with her nose to the ground she would transition between this and a gentle run. Following the two toed tracks, in due time she had vanished both from sight and Northstar Vale. [/size]

As the silent female sprang away, Echelon found herself not surprised. Though it would have likely made more sense for them to pair up and have a good hunt, there was something that held her back. She was not disappointed by the departure. Ultimately, the hunt would have been foolish as far as she was concerned. They were too close to grounds that were well claimed, assuming that the wolves of the Spire were still about. Echelon was willing to believe there were a herd of deer somewhere in the depths of that forestry, and was arrogant enough to believe and their ranks were thinned down to the best of the best. The young, strong, and untouchable by a duo that had five minutes of coordination time.

Sighing tiredly, the inky Phase lingered for a few moments more and then resumed her travel northward. It would take her through the forest, but she had no desire to track down the other wolf. If their paths crossed again then they would, but she had other desires to seek and find.