Blackfoot Forest may the light guide me

she stepped confidently, a pale horseman amongst the darkened night. she was not as gaunt as Death nor did she not bring bad tidings. t'was her coat that shone, bone-starched. that was where the similarities ended. the woman would bend to sniff idly at the trail. the day scent was faded as any rogue worth their two cents had sought shelter. seeking shelter herself, she would move on.

the woodland could be called fearful if she had any fear in her. subtle changes in the night only went so far. she knew that was a branch scratching against the wind, not the talon of any beast. the eyes in the dark were a reflection of the creatures that lived here. they stared at the lone being as she made her way past them, not interrupting her at all. if she did not disturb them, they would not disturb her.

perhaps she was ignorant of fear. or mayhap it did not run so easily in her veins. turning her to a feral beast that lived off of instinct alone. she refused the soft embrace of it. she continued to search for an abandoned spot. a den or a burrow to easily curl in and rest for the night... her goal. a soft hmm would escape her jaws as she looked into an old rabbit den. too small to fit in. she was not foolish to think she was alone, for when her back was turned she heard some soft footfalls behind her.

she did not look back at whoever made it. Heloise merely lifted her head, awaiting something to happen.

As with everyone else in his life this woman had appeared out of now where. At first he was confused, was it another sister. Perhaps Shivali? Or Tahani? It took him several minutes of silent following to realize he didn’t know this woman. She seemed to have paused for the moment, inspecting places to rest. Siarut hadn’t thought about stopping in a long time, suddenly sand collected beneath his lids and his exhaustion started to show. Shaking his head, Sia figured it was rude to stare.

Taking a step out of the shadow, the man waited for the woman to notice him. Siarut knew that there was no way he had been stealthy enough to evade her senses. She knew he was here, but without a valid reason for the intrusion, Siarut remain quite.

the other would say nothing, though they also paused their approach. she could see in her mind's eye - pure imagination - the other standing there. waiting for something to happen that she was also doing. and seeing as they did nothing else, it was up to her to do that something. Heloise would twist her neck to meet the face of the stranger. slowly, her body moved with her to stand before him. she regarded him, finding no hostility in his stance. so why did he approach her so boldly?

"well met" the ivory beast would reply quietly, her tune would reach his ears hopefully. it was not so quiet to whisper. merely deafened for the dark atmosphere. his own pale coat was void of any markings and she could make out brilliant evergreen eyes. though he also spotted scarring here and there. most notably on his chest wherein, hers was on her muzzle. Heloise did not know what he wanted so she pressed gently; "may I help you, sir?"

no idea what Sia is up to buttttttt here you go…. LOL

The pale woman slowly turned a cursory glance on the man, and he was struck with a sense of nostalgia. A role reversal of sorts, remembering the first time he had met Nanook. Dipping his head at the woman, an imperceptible smile tugging his lips as she greeted him.

Periwinkle met olive green, a soul search of sorts settled between the two. Sia let her question hang for a moment while he observed her. Her porcelain white pelt reflective even in the darkness that surrounded them, he could sense a principled air about her and inclined his head slightly; trying to come to some sort of conclusion about the woman.

“No.” Was his simple response. He took a step forward, head held high as he sniffed the air, capturing her scent. He wasn’t sure what had provoke him to step forward, he should have simply walked away. “What are you doing?” Taking a glance around, ensuring the safety of the moment.

no. was a short and simple answer. he did not greet her, merely giving her a brief answer as to if she could assist him in some way. instead, he was to query after her actions. Heloise did not so much as look behind her, keeping her cool gaze upon the stranger, at the abandoned rabbit den. "hunting for shelter" she saw no reason to lie to the other, and she was not offended by his words. her own tone was quite simple at the best of times. she only spoke necessary things.

he would approach shortly, taking a singular step as he raised his snout. she merely watched him. her eyes did not betray her; though she was more careful than cautious. she knew she could handle herself in combat if it came down to defending herself. he seemed to be committing her scent to memory. Heloise knew she had no pack scent upon her, and he did not either. both were wanderers. "unless this is your place of residence" she would offer "I shall move on."

a wanderer he may be, yet even rogues had established territories. she was at least respectful of that aspect.

The man didn’t know how lucky he was to have stumbled upon a sensible woman. She wasn’t offended or agitated by his rudeness, and less than forthcoming attitude. Siarut nodded slowly, peaking over her shoulder at the discarded rabbit hole. He didn’t worry about her, whether she could handle herself or not it didn’t matter. Siarut would defend himself, but beyond that it was the will of the universe who would win. Quite frankly, he wasn’t sure which outcome her would prefer. If she won or he did.

Not that it mattered, as they both seemed level headed enough to avoid conflict, for the moment anyway. Sia hoped that his lose grip on rationality could survive this encounter. “No.” Again he stated the simple reply, drawling the o as he thought. “I don’t have a place of residence, I don’t sleep much.” Clearing his throat, embarrassed slightly by the admission, Siarut took a step back. “I’m sorry to have disturbed you.” His mother would have been ashamed of his manners, and the northern man mentally berated himself for his intrustion.

he did not offer much, yet she was not offended by his brief answers. the two beings were strangers, after all, t'would be odd indeed if they chatted like old friends. Heloise gave another brief nod at his admission, her eyes closing momentarily. rogues did not sleep much anyway. they were always on high alert, careful of who they trod near. if a pack established itself nearby, there was a heightened sense of security. "I see" she would gift him, though her tone was more thoughtful over cold.

he would move back, apologizing for disturbing her. the woman shook her head slowly. "you have not disturbed me" she would softly correct, not berating him for his manners or admission of insomnia. like she was one to talk. a newcomer to the Teekons, she had no semblance of a den to rest in. most of her time was spent traveling from one location to the next. Heloise also accepted long ago that some wolves did lack the formal nature she oft spoke. "I have spent my time wandering from place to place upon arrival here." she would pause, noting that night was not a decent time to find a hollow den.

"so I do know how it is, to be dead upon the feet. unable to rest." she added with compassion.

She was soft spoken, and Sia halted his attempt to turn away. Tilting his head, he reevaluated the woman, softening his gaze he nodded slowly. An understanding of sorts was reached, each of them alone and wandering. Unable to rest, or unwilling. Siarut couldn’t stop the thought as he flinched, “The night is long, to long without rest.”

Still to wired to truly relax, Siarut found lowered his haunches coming to a sit. His bushy white tail twitching against the cool frozen dirt. A tick he had developed in the last few months in the company of a less than ideal role model. “I have travelled these parts many times.”

Sia could remember the times spent in this territory and those nearby. Many good memories, but also many bad. “What brings you to the Wilds?”

she would give a nod, quietly agreeing. the woman was physically active as a result of her travels. she always assumed she'd sleep when she stopped moving. tonight did not seem to be a night for that, however. try as she might to find shelter, she came up with emptiness. Heloise was not going to sleep under the stars in a strange, new land. one never knew what was roaming in the spring. bears, in particular, exited hibernation during this time.

t'was dangerous to sleep in the open. "nothing fanciful" she would reply to his query, feeling her body recline as well as she faced the man. she had merely picked a direction and left another realm she had briefly been in. "there is no deeply rooted tale, I am afraid" no tales of revenge, of companionship she had oathed to follow. there was a small ghost of an amused grin. one could easily claim she had been bored. her head would shake slowly. "it was... random."

which was true. she hadn't even known the name of this realm until she met others. "have you been here long?" she asked the man.

Her arrival was just as random as his departure, to an extent. The circumstances surrounding his early departure from the Wilds were indeed random, a misfortunate jumble of events that he had no control over. Events that had destroyed his life. “Simplicity is sometimes best.” He lent a slight smile trying to hide his grimace, although to a deft eye there was no hiding the pain.

He hesitated at her question, brain stuck on the words. “I um, no. No I haven’t been here long.” He decided that this was the less painful answer, the half-truth as it were. He had missed the juxtaposition of his comment with his previous one. If he had been here for so little time, then how could he have travelled the area. Shaking his head Sia tried to amend his statement, “That is to say, I only just returned.”

the man seemed a bit in pain of something, though she did not wish to prod if he hid it so well. a past was never a simple thing to be sure. delights were mingled with sorrow. sometimes the hurt lasted longer than any joy one had. it was not easy to forget. Heloise assumed he would rather not speak of it and kept her questions to herself. though she did note he disliked speaking of his past, making a mental tick not to ask unless he was comfortable with the question.

"returned" the woman would muse softly, lulling over the word. she would smile slightly, breaking briefly free of her ice queen personality. "well. welcome back, sir" whatever had pulled the man back, she was not going to question it. it was not even her place. her head would tilt as she regarded him once more. "my apologies; I have not introduced myself to you" her neck straightened once more, taking on the regal bearing she naturally seemed to acquire. "I am Heloise cel Mare. might I ask your name?"

welcome back. The simple words almost broke him, he felt a scream pushing at the back of his throat, and his anger flared for a moment. Quickly turning his gaze from the woman, he willed his emotions back into place. Into the boxes had designed just for this reason.

He missed her apology, just barely catching her name. Clearing his throat, and shaking out the anxiety settling in his coat he offered, “I am Siarut.” Finally finding the courage to return his gaze on the woman, he slowly dipped his head in proper greeting. “Have you met anyone else?” He needed to think of something random, something he held no stock in.

he'd shift his head away suddenly. her brow furrowed, not quite understanding what she had done wrong. "I am sorry" she would offer, though truthfully all she had done was to welcome him back to the wilds. she had no means of knowing what darkness crept in his mind. he seemed to barely come back to his senses enough to catch her title. her head wished to tilt though she remained how she was. the small smile vanished from her face, unsure if she had insulted him by her friendliness.

though she did not offer anything else to him in terms of an apology or comfort. "Siarut... a pleasure, then" she would murmur, adding his name to her memory like all the others before him. she did not know the origins of it, though it sounded distinctively northern. "yes - I have met others." she'd answer. so far it was smooth sailing. one could not step without meeting another on the road. Heloise wondered if the man was looking for someone, though the thought died easily. he would have come out and said that from the start.

"though they all seek something, in their own way" Heloise would go on, recalling her encounters. staring at the stars with Eastwood, he sought to learn of them. a spar with a man named Derg who sought to improve his strength. Liri and her little band wished for peace and a home for themselves. and dear little Roscoe sought adventure.

He couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge the apology, considering she had nothing to be sorry for. It was him, and his weakness that was the problem. Even though his heart was jack hammering inside his chest, and he was struggling to keep his breathing in check, Sia tried to portray a semblance of normalcy. His ears twitched as he focused on the words from Heloise.

Her final sentence rung a cord with him, as he nodded his head. A smile coming forth again, as he snorted. “Of course.” He tried to think of what he himself might be seeking from the woman. “And what pray tell, am I seeking? Amusement lite his eyes, his mental distress forgotten in a moment of fun. Something that he hadn’t had in long time.

"a new start, perhaps?" she would reply, forgetting his earlier lapse into darkness in favor of moving forward. she could tell from the haunted look that had been in his eyes... life had not been easy for the man. she hoped he found comfort whenever he was ready to heal. Siarut had done her no wrong thus far, and she was not a cruel being.

she did not wish him harm. though Heloise failed to realize that he asked what he wanted from her. not life itself. she never assumed anyone wanted anything from her. she was unassuming at the core. unremarkable. she merely existed as she attempted. "yet such a thing... is not easy" she would murmur as if likening such an aspect to her own personal goals.

perhaps she had demons of her own.

Her statement was unassumingly prolific. He couldn’t help the slight smile that graced his features, as he nodded slowly. “Indeed a new start is never easy, but it wouldn’t be worth much if it were.” Her murmur was followed by his own. Looking around once more, as the creatures of the night continued to come forth. Night or day, the forests of the Wilds were always alight with activity.

“And what would you new start look like, if that is what you were seeking.” She had yet to make a definitive statement about her own wants, but Siarut could sometimes be perspective. Most new to the Teekon Wilds were seeking a new path with which to lead their lives. Himself included. Although he sometimes wondered if just how many chances one might receive, for a new start.

"I agree" Heloise never expected anything to be handed to her personally. she worked for everything she got, every drop of sweat a price to be paid eventually. Siarut would ask about her wants, her goals. the woman would pause, a ghost of a frown upon her features. "I do not know." for, at the time, her only gain was survival. at least she was honest and not hiding anything. ignorance was sometimes bliss, but not for her. she wanted to know how this wilderness was run. how people ticked.

she wanted to be involved. "I would like to settle down in the Teekons, I think" she'd add on to that piss poor reply. there were worse places to settle, after all. "I suppose a pack would be the first step" joining one of the various available to her seemed monumental. she had no way of knowing where to start until she explored more. she'd shake her head slightly. "though I suppose I have wants and needs like any other wolf." she was not... interesting. friends. family. one day children to carry on her legacy.

what more could one want?

He could only nod along with her replies, glad for the simplicity that came from hear such basic dreams. His own life seemed so complicated in comparison, and he wished for the it all to fall away and for the easiness of life to return. A calmness fell over the brute as he listened to her, his tail swaying slightly.

“Wants and needs?” Everyone’s idea of the necessities to life varied, and he was curious what such a woman could want, what she hoped for deep down. He had no ill intention, he merely wished for this conversation to linger. He suddenly realized what he wanted from her, security. Not in terms of the physical, but rather the mental. She was a mental breath of fresh air.

she'd dip her head, a slight chuckle given to him. it felt a bit odd being asked what she wanted out of life. for a long time now, she had been the one to ask others such a question. to even assist them in their own goals. Heloise never gave it much thought, to be frank, though she doubted Siarut would be satisfied with her avoiding the question. he had asked for some reason, to keep the conversation flowing. it would be rude not to answer.

"one day" she'd begin, looking at the ground "I would like to walk with someone else. to share myself with them" a partner, a friend, a confidant. a love. someone that she felt was equal to her, that would be loyal to her. "and one day, I would enjoy children. though I would see myself settled first." she was a female, after all, and their gender raised children from the womb. though she may appear to be stand-offish, Heloise did want what other women wanted. to be loved.

Slowly his smile took on a more honest edge, softening and reaching deep into his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he turned his head slightly, avoiding her gaze as he thought of the one fitting such a description. “You seek you second half.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. He knew what she was looking for, as he himself had found it and perceived to have lost it.

“When you find them,” Siarut continued, when not if, “,tell them what they mean to you. Every day.” Returning olive orbs on the pale woman, he offered her a piece of his soul. His only worthwhile advice. “Because you never know what you might lose them.” He probably sounded like a rambling fool, but he could never describe the agony that followed when Nanook had died. And he wouldn’t wish that kind of pain on anyone, especially one as kind as Heloise.

“That is the only advice I can give to a kind hearted traveler such as yourself.” For once in a long time, he felt as if he perhaps had made himself a worth friend.

Heloise's eyes darkened momentarily. you seek your second half. her eyes would close, an unreadable expression on her features. she seemed to fall apart physically, her shoulders drooping a bit and her face edged away from his. "I had one" she would admit softly "at least, I assumed I did." there was always going to be a past and people in it. she just did not expect herself to have this conversation so soon. Siarut's words spoke of wisdom only someone who had felt pain from love would know.

she gave herself a little shake, returning to the present and mentally - physically too - returning to normal. it was clear she did not wish to speak about it for she was not prepared to do such a thing. Heloise would continue on as if nothing had happened, focusing once more on his face. he seemed more relaxed now, and she was gladdened for it. "thank you" she would bring herself to say, not really sure what to say to such a thing. "I appreciate your words." she tried to reign herself in for her lapse of emotion earlier.

want to wrap it up?

Closing his eyes at her words, he shook his head slowly. “I am very sorry to hear that. I know the pain, I didn’t survive it. You must hold true strength.” Siarut hadn’t survived it, he still hadn’t and she had returned to him. It was going to be a long time before he was even remotely okay. But she seemed to be put together, and he knew that was something to be proud of.

“You are deserving of praise.” He shrugs off her thanks, in his mind there was no need, she had earned it. Looking toward the sky, Siarut realized he had ventured from Nanook for to long. They mutually appreciated their free reign but having only just got her back Siarut was overly protective. “You have found a friend in me tonight Heloise. I hope to see you again soon.” With a small smile, he dipped his head, and turned back toward he woods from which he had come.

she said nothing, having nothing positive to say back. though she could bitch and grumble, or moan and wail, she found solace in silence. it was clear their time was up, and Siarut would rise to depart. she'd give him a nod before rising herself. a friend. perhaps her first real friendship in the Teekons. that was deserving of a smile. and so she did make one. "and I hope to see you again soon, Siarut" she would shift her body to leave him be. "it was a pleasure speaking to you." back to formalities, it would seem. her expression darkened when she had her back to him, quickly making off. apparently, something had unnerved her.