Overture Downs Gas station coffee

@Sarah — Sorry about the delay in starting this!

There are so many packs around here. Clustered in one clump, he wonders how it is during early winter; if the tensions are high due to the preparation of scarce prey, or if they opt to work together. Evergreen would hope they'd choose the peaceful route. War sounds foolish during the harshest of the seasons. Easthollow, at least, seems like it's fairing fine.

Evergreen can't resist his curiosity, however, as he grows ever closer to a neighboring pack. Of course, he does not intend any harm; the bearish wolf might be massive, but he is little threat. He just wants to learn what he can about this unfamiliar land. He takes his time surveying the snow-covered landscape. The morning brings an extra chill, and the overcast sky shows little promise in the day growing warmer.

The thrill of the hunt, the adrenaline rush, the focus on the prey freed Sarah's soul from her inner darkness. She did not have to think as she chased, her mind and body knew, what to do. The jackrabbit made loop here, swerved there, zig-zagged and she guessed it's moves every time, until she caught up with the white-pelted lagomorph, pinned it down and killed it. 

Soon there was only a head and some strands of fur left, and with her belly full, Sarah sunk back on her haunches and sighed. Her heart still was racing and she did not wish it to cease doing so, because with the calmness would the dark shadows creep back in and swallow her again. Then she got her unconscious plea for more adrenaline rush answered, because she spotted an awful lot bear-like figure moving in the distance. And, while her rational mind did not want to accept that this could be true, if it was - she was in trouble.

Hungry and sleep-deprived bears in the middle of winter meant trouble.

His ears twitch, swerving in the direction where he swears he heard something. Paranoia maybe? Being this close to another's territory does make him nervous. 'It could just be a shift of snow,' the wolf reasons. Evergreen ends up glancing over his shoulder just in case. He scans the right of him over quickly; as if he's determined to pin the eerie feeling of someone staring at him on his nerves. A shiver does run up his spine, to which he blames the weather. If his pace quickens to a hurried lope, no one is here to judge him, right?

Of course, he isn't paying much attention to where he's going. A set of tree roots sits above ground, dusted in snow, and is very much a death trap (exaggeration). Evergreen's forelegs collide with the roots. Life flashes before his eyes. The clumsy male goes tumbling forward with a surprise yelp and lands on his chest. He releases a breath that sounds similar to an "oof".

Sarah was not a wolf, who would take unneccessary risks, but she was not the one to run from a situation, based on assumptions alone. She observed the bear-like animal move, look around (at this moment she froze and became very still in order not to be spotted) and then it did something very odd - it tripped and tumbled down.

Bears, in her opinion, weren't the most graceful animals, but they had a very good control over their limbs and, where they went. Since when did they fall like this? The she-wolf got to her feet and trotted towards the heap of brown fur and, when the smell and decidedly wolfish features up close, confirmed that this was not the top predator on the food chain, she eased up and dared to venture even closer. 

"Do you need any help?" she offered quietly, sitting down and peering down at the other wolf with curiousity and worry.

Ugh, Evergreen groans. The snow did little to cushion his fall. Pain starts at his forelegs where the impact began, and crawls all the way up to his chin where he landed. Fortunately, he thinks, no one is around. Naïve, for not long after his tumble as he stays splayed out on the ground, the brown wolf hears quiet footsteps approaching. His eyebrows furrow; fur bristling on end. Cautious, for who knows what or who these footsteps belong to.

Evergreen rolls ever so gracefully onto his side away from the evil that caused his demise. Each movement reminding him of his mistake. He starts to right himself when he spots the silver wolf—quiet, concerned and thankfully no apparent threat. His ears fold; embarrasment heating his face. Uhm, the bearish wolf cuts off and scrambles to his feet, wincing at the pull of his right leg. Nah, I'm okay! I, uh, am... used to it? Wow, way to make yourself sound amazing, Evergreen. He laughs awkwardly.

Uh, thanks though. I'm... Evergreen.

Used to it, huh? Sarah repeated this in her mind and something unexpected happened - she chuckled. The sound was a little awkward, lacked confidence and was covered in rust, as if the person had not laughed in a very long time. She was surprised at the turn of events, but just as quickly the amusement had sparked in the darkness, it was swallowed right away, leaving no trace that it even had been there. 

"My name is Sarah," she introduced herself, finding it difficult to continue the conversation, now that her help was politely dismissed. "I am from Lost Creek Hollow. Where do you hail from?" she asked quickly, in order to avoid silence between them.

Flustered, Evergreen would be a blushing mess if it weren't thankfully hidden by his thick coat. (He is lucky he hadn't started stuttering.) Shyly, the bearish wolf grins at his company's hesitant chuckle of her own. Though he isn't certain if she is laughing at or with him, he decides to count it as a win. The humor of the situation, however, seems to disappear in the blink of an eye.

Nice to meet you, Sarah. Evergreen takes a seat; mirroring her posture. His ears swerve alert, interest sparking in his green eyes. Oh! I heard about your pack, from uh, my pack's Matriarch. I'm from Easthollow. Kinda new... At this point, he hasn't met many of his fellow packmates outside of quick greetings. You wouldn't happen to know of someone named Keen, would you?

Maybe Terance had mentioned their closest neighbours and Sarah had not paid attention or he had not and therefore she pretended to know and understand, what Evergreen was telling her. She immediately imagined the matriarch being a big, fat and old she-wolf and you can't judge her too harshly for that misinterpretation - after all the guy before her represented the pack and, if they all came from the same matriarch... oh, well, gets too complicated and irrelevant. You got the point!

"No. Is he missing?" Sarah asked, now used to the habit of all strangers she happened to meet outside hollow looking for missing people. As if they didn't have anything better to do.

LOL Poor Valette

Uh, yeah. Evergreen is surprised Sarah assumed correctly. She is the Matriarch... Valette's daughter. Brown with blue eyes. Which sounds like a description that could be anyone, but alas, it is the only information Evergreen was really given. Outside of the fact Keen also does not like to travel away from home... which complicates the entire thing, but that's besides the point. It seems like she might not be at Lost Creek Hollow either.

If she visits Lost Creek Hollow, would you mind letting us know?

Unlike with other vague descriptions Sarah had heard (or in Stigmata's case - name only), to the "brown with blue eyes" she could put a picture of Evergreen with his eyes photoshopped in the right colour. "I will remember that and tell my brother - he is a leader there," she nodded and agreed to help with the best intentions, however, she would have to deal with some troubles of her own and forget about the information she was supposed to convey in the end.

"Where is your search taking you?" she asked next, wondering, if she could be of any assistence there. She had no desire to return to hollow and had no preference of, where to go.

Evergreen smiles wide from cheek to cheek, grateful that Sarah is willing to help Easthollow out. He’ll make sure to let his leadership know in the future, for even if Lost Creek Hollow are allies already, it’s good to see they truly have their backs!

“Thanks, Sarah,” he says, tail wagging for extra measure. “What’s your brother’s name?” An eyebrow raises out of curiosity, for he is unaware of the pack’s leaders. (Convenient and lucky that he was able to run into the right person to ask!)

His head tilts to the side, before he shifts his gaze from Sarah to the area. “Uh, well, to be honest we were hoping she would be around here or at your pack… I was thinking about heading south a bit.” One ear lays back while the other stays perked.

"Terance," Sarah replied readily and decided to add the names of other two leaders there, "Rannoch and Treason lead there as well." She was not sure about, where the others stood in the hierarchy, but three names were enough for a stranger to keep in mind. Most likely he would forget them all by the time he got back to Easthollow.

"Aha," she nodded. "There are some packs up northwards though - more people there to ask for information. At least that, what I would do in your place. South you could go a long way, before you met someone," she shared her opinion.

Do you mind if we wrap this thread up? <3

Terance, Rannoch, Treason. Evergreen repeats the three names in his head, hoping to remember each but possibly would mix up one or two. Maybe Valette or Greyback knew them better; he assumes leaders neighboring so close would. The Easthollow wolf gives her a nod and a thankful grin. His head tilts to the side in thought, however, as she gives advice on where to search for Keen.

Huh, he murmurs, unaware of just how many packs clumped together on this side of the map. North it is then. Changing direction, Evergreen feels eager to start on his adventure despite the pain still shooting up his legs from his clumsy trip. Thanks for your help, Sarah! Hopefully he will be able to repay her in the future, but for now, Evergreen finds himself determined and trots northward.

"See you, sometime," Sarah told the bear-like wolf and, once it was out of her sight, she turned and left for the hollow. But as it happens in life, something would come across and she would forget entirely about this meeting or the names and descriptions she had been supposed to pass on to her leaders. Hopefully, Evergreen would have better luck with the next person he met.