Whitebark Stream High Time

Winter was a poor time for any wolf to travel alone, but circumstances didn't offer the young Valtyr much recourse. He had traversed to the east during the warmer summer months and found a medium sized established pack in a forest purchase. Yet, the political climate shifted and the boy found himself on the road once more. A short stop was all he allowed himself at the glacier -- his family's original kingdom -- before moving south. The snow crunched beneath his feet as the sound of rushing water reached his ears. A river. He moved towards it automatically, seeking drink, and wondered to himself which way to travel next.

Quietly jumps in.

She'd lost them - lost them, god damn it! They were gone! Tavi was in a panic as she scoured the area for her hiding place, for the feathers meant as a gift for Saena. It had been days ago that she had fought that turkey with Ukko, and all the trees looked the same, all the paths converged and mixed up in her head -- "Where are they?!" The girl all but shrieked, tearing away from a hastily dug cache and heading north through the trees. She stopped to nose around in the snow, or paw at a pile of dirt with the hopes that the feathers would be hidden there; she even checked a few dens spied in passing, but the gifts were gone. 

By the time she stopped running - frantic as she searched - Tavi realized she had run out of real-estate. The sounds of a rushing river overtook her mind, further disorienting her, frustrating her. With a frustrated bellow the gray girl gave up, slumping in the snow with a huff, feeling her ego deflate in the process. All that trouble and for nothing. She probably would've sulked there for a good hour or two, had she not noticed the golden sheen drifting between the trees.

Well, not golden. Browns and tans, maybe. Something more lively than the winterscape around her - and more exuberant in tone than her own pelt. Maybe it was a deer? She could take on a deer! Yeah! Sure! Maybe it was one of those ugly male deer with the big horns. Saena could use them as a crown or something! Tavi was up and prowling after the moving shape, following with as much finesse as her big self could muster (not a lot).

<3

A few strong strikes with a paw was enough to break the thin veil of ice that had built up near the water's edge. Valtyr took a sip, ladling the water into his mouth with a few flicks of his tongue. It was cold but refreshing - and the youth couldn't help but wish it was summer again. He vaguely remembered growing up by a river like this and its quiet, lulling babble. Once his thirst had been quenched, the Sveijarn began to follow the water's edge. A familiar scent lingered in the air - and the well-worn traveling paths around the area alluded to pack traffic. Had a group set themselves up nearby? He knew Lost Creek Hollow resided in the South (a feeling a guilt struck him then for abandoning the new pack), but it seemed wolves amassed together all the time... it was just the way things were.

Unaware he was being stalked, the young man ambled slowly betwixt the trees towards Phoenix Maplewood.

It should not have taken this long for Tavi to realize what she was stalking, but she wasn't exactly a thoughtful individual. More of a "charge first, never ask questions" type of girl. Plus, with the thought of a new gift for Saena on her mind, the girl was adamant on succeeding - so enthralled by the shifting body between the trees, she wasn't as mindful as she should have been. And the creature wasn't too observant either; this bolstered her ego somewhat, lifting her spirits, and Tavi became a bit careless in her approach because of this. Slipping out from her hiding place, she raced closer and closer - and then with a loud bark, careened in to view before the target.

The forward momentum should've stopped when she reached the deer, that was the plan. She was going to run in, bark, and then adjust as soon as the thing was spooked and charge after it -- but she noticed as soon as her sharp call ended, this was no deer. It was a leggy boy thing, a stranger! Possibly an intruder! But before Tavi could do anything (say hello, or stop him, or make her face stop looking so dumbfounded) she lost her footing and did a half-roll towards him. Smooth.

Caught unaware in a reverie, Valtyr only noticed the thundering beast when her heavy paw-steps reached his ears. They twitched and orbited as the yearling swung his bracken head around to see a gunmetal she-wolf stampeding towards him; a low, deafening bark accompanying her charge. Immediately the ridge of agouti hair along Val's spine stood on edge as he let out a deep, raspy bay in surprise. His posture locked up as he went on the defensive - a sudden rush of adrenaline making his head ring. Had he been so careless as to cross a border? The Sveijarn squeezed his whiskey-colored eyes shut and waited for an impact that never came.

Fortunately, the women suddenly slipped and tumbled to a stop right in front of him. Valtyr didn't see her go down, but witnesses the last silver flailing paw as she made hard contact with the earth. "W-woah!" he couldn't help but stammer, taking a few paces back, "what were you trying to do? Take me out?!" Valtyr's tone was mixed with equal concern and agitation as his gaze flitted about for any friends that stranger might have and he readied himself to run should the situation call for it. He wheezed a cautious breath before adding, "you okay?"

It was a hard landing, but Tavi wasn't terribly injured. Her pride was a little sore, sure. But the girl got to her paws and dusted herself off (more or less) with a brief shake of her scruff, and turned a sharp eye upon the youth. He seemed agitated and a little concerned. "Well - no, but -" This was not a very good introduction; Tavi felt her spine bristle as she awkwardly floundered. "I thought you were food." 

Taking a step to stretch, something in Tavi's back popped and she let out a small 'ooh' of pleasure, and was right as rain again. Like a robot which had lost a bolt. She was still intently watching the boy though. "Obviously you aren't food. Who are you?" Part of Tavi wanted to be big and intimidating, to maybe make a point; she wanted to be a warrior one day after all, and clearly she needed some practice.

The curious woman picked herself up with a small shake as if to swiftly cast aside her embarrassment. Though the stranger's gaze was piercing, her faltering quirks were endearing to the young man. Valtyr could barely swallow a snicker when she recounted exactly why they had nearly collided.

"Food?" he jeered, "like what... a large rabbit?" Sooty lips upturned into a grin, "Or maybe a buck?" One long, orange leg pawed at the ground to mimic the beast as he tossed his head back, pretending to have antlers. "Maybe its time to have your eyes checked." Being sassy wasn't part of Valtyr's regular repertoire, but he couldn't resist poking some fun at the woman for such a blatant error. Mistaking a wolf for prey was like... mistaking a pine-cone for a strawberry.

The woman's tone became harsh when she demanded his name. Valtyr cleared his throat... joke-time seemed to be over. "Valtyr," he told her willingly with a small wag of his tail, thinking it might appease her. "But you can call me Val. I haven't been back to Teekon in a while. I used to live near here when I was young. Seems the storm did a number on the place." In his travels Valtyr had passed many darkened trees, scorched from fire. "Though the woods here look like they were spared. Do you live around here?"

As he listed off the potential options, Tavi stuck out her tongue and blew a nice big raspberry at him. It wasn't her fault the boy was so thin and ragged looking! Anyone would have made that mistake. She wasn't mad though (he was right, and she wouldn't admit to it). When he asked about the area, Tavi huffewd softly and lifted her snout as if it was beneath her to answer such questions. "Well Val, maybe if you weren't traipsing about near claimed land, I'd have never thought to chase you." If he wasn't a buck, he was an intruder. 

But that gave her an idea. Tavi had failed to give Saena those feathers, and now she'd failed to find a nice rack of antlers to compensate - maybe this guy could be her gift? Before Valtyr could do much, Tavi began to form a plan and her voice gleefully overwhelmed anything Valtyr may have been sassing at her. "This is the Phoenix Maplewood. Or, well, its that way --" She gestures with a flick of her nose to an area upriver. "And its run by a lady named Saena. Wouldn't wanna cross her, now, would you?" 

Tavi's gaze swept over Valtyr again, this time to size him up. He looked young but fit, athletic even. Still no match for anyone from the Maplewood though (despite her ridiculous blundering, she counted herself among them).

Valtyr loosed an exasperated huff in addition to the woman's banter, sarcasm painting a raised brow and his smirking, swarthy mug. Sure, pack-wolves often patrolled their adjacent territories, but that didn't mean they gunned down travelers like prey animals. The Sveijarn could see she was trying to cover up her err with weak excuses - but he let it slide without another word. If anything, the whole situation was pretty funny to the youth.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but Tavi interrupted with a daring threat... or at least it would have been not for the excited lilt in her tone. However, her words issued an interesting reaction. Valtyr's face lit up, knowing the name. "I recognize that name," he told her, "is she white with red ears?" Saena was a unique moniker and it was unlikely there was another in all of Teekon, "I grew up with her on the Plateau. She lives here now?" he asked the guard, taking a step forward with obvious interest.

Thinking she had him beat - and that he might run for the hills - Tavi was more than a bit surprised when the threat fell flat. In fact, the boy mentioned knowing Saena, as if they were best pals at some point in the past. The girl's mouth opened, slack jawed for a split second, but she collected herself quickly. "Yeah, that's her. Dunno about any plateau, but she's the boss of this forest." Her heart had sunk a little bit. "I can call for her if you want to say hello." Maybe this situation could be mended after all. But it still bothered Tavi immensely that she'd screwed up so much. First to think a wolf was food, then to try and scare off the intruder and have him completely unphased - she wasn't even remotely scary! Ugh. She mentally glossed over the fact that the boy was so interested in Saena, and not so interested in herself; he was a stranger so his attention wasn't exactly valuable, but all the same... Tavi disliked being overlooked.

*sqishes Tavi and Val together* be frannzzz!

Valtyr's burnt ears orbited forward, curious of this new development. "If you call her, she'll come?" he reiterated the obvious wondering how far outside the territory Saena would travel. He thought for a moment, wanting to see his old pack-mate but knowing time changed many things. Plus, last time he had seen her he had lost courage and avoided any interaction. "How about you lead me to your borders instead?" he asked of Tavi. "What's your name anyway?"

Maybe he was lying. Maybe this was a ruse to get close to the borders, and then ditch her for whatever reason. She entertained the thought for a split second, but surmised that he - spry and young though he was - would not get far. If the need arose, Tavi would bulldoze him down; this sudden surge of care for the maplewood was surprising.

"She might, but you have a point." Tavi's nose wiggled a little as she said this, a little twitch that showed she was thinking. "I guess it would be alright. This way -" And without waiting, Tavi turned to lead him towards the woods. She paused for just a second, remembering that he wanted her name, and casually added, "I'm Tavi," over her shoulder.

Valtyr's sooty tail wagged when Tavi agreed to lead him to Maplewood's edge. As the gunmetal woman turned to leave, the yearling fell in step besides her, though he hung back a step or two as to not impeded the pack wolf's guidance. He practically vibrated with excitement at the idea of seeing Saena. However, it was soon tempered by a healthy dose of guilt. Val lapsed into silence for the first few minutes of their journey, before golden eyes slid back warden. "How long have you lived here?" he asked, making small talk to break the ice a second time.

Small talk. The dreaded conversation between two strangers. Usually Tavi was flippant enough to prattle on, but today was a bit different. She was on edge while leading this boy towards the borders, unsure of herself and of his intentions. His question went ignored for a long minute, and then to break the obvious stillness, Tavi relented. "Not long. About a month, if that." She was going to quiet down and lead him in silence (an unusual feat for the girl) but a thought occurred to her. "I ran in to Saena completely by accident, and somehow she was impressed enough to let me stay." Tavi was thankful for that, but still perplexed. Before the boy could respond she was picking up speed - spotting familiar trees and signs of the pack. "Its just ahead, around that bend in the forest. Come on!"

And in true Tavi fashion, she didn't wait to see if he was following - simply charged on, excited to be back on familiar turf.