Otter Creek memories

Maybe a Blackfeather due to proximity? Will close on the 30th if no one replies.

It seemed Amsu had meandered down from the mountains once again, this time on the other side. Now he stood at banks of a creek. Some parts of the water were frozen over, and some were still slow-moving slush. Definitely not the temperature to go for a swim. This saddened Amsu a bit. In the desert, any bit of moving water seen as precious and a cause for celebration. He vaguely remembered his childhood, splashing in a creek, or maybe the pond below a waterfall. He could not remember exactly. The memory was a happy one, regardless, and he was sad he could not now create a new one. Once the summer comes, he promised himself, and turned to head back towards the mountains.

she was weary.
bone-deep and mortal, the exhaustion had grown within her, birthing itself outward as if it were some blight in her marrow. the seizings had become more constant; soon her daughters would see. 
and maegi had not returned.
the listener drifted as if in a dream from blackfeather's ailing borders, seeking the frozen ribbon of the creek beyond. the last time she had been here ... the last. no. it was lost to her, that memory, and this upset the woman. what else would she lose in the days to come?
the gilded-ash creature turning from her did not warrant more than an ear-flick as relmyna crouched down beside the creek, seeking the parts not covered with ice for a drink.

Amsu paused in his turning at the approach of a white wolf. Moon-touched, he thought. A lucky sign. She merely flicked an ear at him before bending down to drink. He turned to face her, but instead of saying anything, he sat down quietly and looked out at their surroundings. If she wished to speak, he would let her do so on her own terms. Amsu was generally quiet as it was, unless he was with his own people, so he was accustomed to silence. Gently, his tail thumped the ground beneath him, just to let the woman know that he was friendly.

she was not even to be alone here, it seemed — relmyna lifted her dripping muzzle to regard the man with a flat look. he was affable, however, and so she made herself the same, softening the lines of her body and settling on her haunches with an answering thump of her own plume. for once, blackfeather's numbers did not plague her; she thought only of conversing with a stranger, and her ragged lips curved in a wan smile.

Amsu’s eyes widened at the woman’s flat look. Perhaps he should leave if she was looking at him like that. He shifted just barely in the moment before rising, but then her demeanor changed. She softened and her own tail began to thump. Amsu relaxed, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief. He returned her smile, though he noted that it seemed strained. His brows drew together and he worried for this woman, despite having no knowledge of her. Her initial reaction of him, and now this tired smile, seemed a cause for concern. He, however, was not going to ask her about it. That would be ridiculous considering that he knew nothing about her. Instead, he glanced around at their surroundings and said, “Nice weather—for winter. At least it is not snowing, yes?”

he spoke, and she felt some tiredness leave her. yes, relmyna mouthed gently, seafoam eyes upin him. but i am so weary of the cold. her lips, as ever, moved slowly and in a pronounced manner. and there was good here, yes, something to which she could cling in the moments to pass.
if he could not see, then she motioned him closer with a lift of her paw. are you from around here? the listened inquired affably. perhaps he was from the blacktail pack, one she had not known disbanded. or perhaps he was merely a stranger. at any rate, it mattered little to relmyna, not now.

wow i suck. sorry. school started and i am perpetually swamped with homework.

Amsu obviously did not hear the words that the woman spoke, and his face was turned away for most of them. He happened to turn his head and see her mouthing and focused on her then, ears cupped forward curiously. ’… cold. Are you from around here?’

It was not for Amsu to judge how this one spoke without making noise. He had strange speech patterns himself and was just non-judgmental in general. “Amsu is from… far away,” he began, shaking his head with a sad smile. “He came from a desert full of red sands and canyons full of color. He has not found such a place here.” He would not depress this woman with the tale of his leaving—the war, the bloodshed. Instead, he asked, “Where does this one come from?”

no worries! <3

the cadence of the other's speech was odd, but not unpleasant. relmyna cupped forward her ears, listening carefully. amsu. a quiet name for a wolf who seemed swiftly kind. i am from blackfeather woods. it is a dark and quiet place, the listener revealed gently, turquoise eyes soft upon the man's own features. you could tell me more of your home, if you wished.
the days were long, were cold; relmyna was tired of the business of blackfeather, and welcomed conversation about other things.

Amsu was sure to keep his eyes on the other’s face so that he could see what they were saying. Blackfeather Woods sounded interesting and he cupped his ears forward to show it. Dark and quiet didn’t sound exactly appealing to him, though the desert could be very quiet sometimes. It was the darkness that bothered him, something he was averse to.

’You could tell me more of your home, if you wished.’

Amsu gave a sad smile, glancing away. He hesitated, then asked, “What does this one want to know? There is much Amsu could tell her. The scenery, perhaps? Or about my family? My religion? Although not all are comfortable speaking of such personal matters.” He sighed, a long, heavy breath that seemed to let go some of his enthusiasm with it. “Or perhaps this one wants to know about the war—the reason Amsu left…” He glanced her way again with a curious if melancholy expression, asking her with his eyes what she wanted to hear.

do you mind fading in your next post? <3 sorry to cut this short, but i thought we could leave it open-ended as far as them sitting and conversing

a war. religion, family — the sorrow that hung in amsu's expressive eyes. here was a creature who needed her only to listen, and relmyna felt interest restored to her. it would be refreshing to speak of things that were not the daedra, and perhaps in the process, lift a burden from one with which she felt a strange and immediate kinship.
all of it, relmyna responded silently. tell me as much or as little as you would like. i will listen. and so she brought up her slim muzzle, swept forward her dark ears, and offered the man a gentle smile.

Amsu smiled a sad kind of smile at the woman’s mouthed words. “All right,” he said, a little hesitantly. “Amsu will tell you as much as he can.” And so they sat, and he spoke, and Relmyna listened. Amsu felt better little by little as he explained his background, though there was still an undercurrent of sorrow beneath his lifting mood. In the end, they parted ways as friendly acquaintances—although Relmyna was possibly closer to Amsu than many others in the Teekon Wilds simply because she understood much of his background. Amsu hoped he would meet her again, for she had made him feel hopeful again.

Thanks for the thread! <3