Wapun Meadow that's why they call them snakes

@Eastwood <3

He was not familiar with these lands but they still seemed to welcome him. The sun surely would have welcome him too were it not for the clouds lining the sky. Spring was still here though, that much was noticeable. The freezing temperatures of winter did not seem to haunt him anymore. It made being in the open -- like this large meadow -- a much more comfortable idea.

Granted he was also exposed to anyone nearby. He could not shield himself from prying eyes. There was always a con to his pros. Good things were always squashed by his turning mind. A huff escaped him as his eyes squinted softly.

In the distance loomed tall valley walls and it was there he knew (thought) he could find some shelter.

The newness of being without the ties of a pack had started to fade some, and East often found himself getting bored. Duty and responsibility had kept him too busy before, and now he seemed to have the complete opposite problem. His naturally curious and busy mind was constantly begging him to find things to keep it entertained and lately, he found it to be harder and harder to fulfill that request. 

He wandered into the meadow today, hoping to find the herd of deer he had seen the last time he was here. He knew that, unless he found one of the beasts to be fatally injured, he would not be hunting today, but watching them and studying their habits provided him with a sufficient enough distraction. Much to his disappointment, there was no sign that the deer had even been grazing the meadow's grasses recently, and he stopped his walking to release a discouraged sigh. Movement caught his attention then, and he whipped his head in the direction of the dark stranger. So there were no deer to keep him entertained today, but maybe the stranger was friendly and would want some company for a little bit. 

He moved a few steps towards the other man, releasing a friendly chuff as he came to a stop. He would wait there until he was sure the other man did not mean him any harm. He was a warrior, but fighting was something he avoided unless absolutely necessary, and it was not something he felt much like doing today.

He was not alone anymore. Someone had indeed spotted him. Instinct told him to keep moving, to get out of the way of them. Yet a sound followed from them and while it sent a shiver down his spine the sound was not threatening. It had simply caught him off guard.

Konstanty returned the sound carefully. A soft boof as the sound barely escaped his jaws. He was mildly embarrassed by the weak sound that had been made. Ah...hello. He announced a touch louder this time. His body language remained open and neutral but he was not about to barge into the stranger's personal space.

He seemed neither friendly nor unfriendly, so East took a few more steps forward, dipping his head in response to the soft sound of greeting. Hello, he replied at first after the man had spoken, still unable to read much from him. He didn't seem hostile, but he also wasn't exactly inviting him over for a chat either. I hope I didn't interrupt anything, he started, glancing briefly around them for any signs that the other wolf had been engaged in something. He saw nothing obvious. I was...well...I was bored and looking for the herd of deer that I found here not that long ago, the warrior added. Have you seen them recently? Maybe he could start to learn their movement patterns and follow them around when he had nothing better to do, which was most of the time these days it seemed.

His head shook softly, signaling a no. Konstanty had been doing utterly nothing besides debating his luck with heading to a nearby area. He had not seen hide nor hair of any sort of prey around and it was that that spurred his lips to turn toward. I haven't. There was an undeniable touch of disappointment in his voice. His crimson eyes moved to look back towards the valley walls in the distance. Could they be over there? Shelter perhaps. He hummed in thought. He knew nothing of these lands, of where could harbor what.

Are you...hunting with others? It seemed odd to follow a whole herd as just a lone man.

It seemed he hadn't interrupted anything, which was good, but the stranger hadn't seen the herd either, which was not quite so good; not that it was his fault or anything. He looked to the shelter the other man spoke of and shrugged a little. I suppose they could be there, he answered. Want to go check it out? East asked, raising an intrigued eyebrow. Even if the deer weren't there, which he was almost certain they wouldn't be, they might find something else just as interesting. He began to walk as the red-eyed stranger spoke again, and to his question, the former sea wolf shook his head. I am not with anyone, he started. I don't really need partners to track, and it gives me something to do I guess, he added. Sure, he couldn't really hunt one of the large prey on his own, but he was pretty sure he wouldn't always be alone, and this could provide him with useful information.

I'll follow. He agreed with ease. Konstanty did not feel in danger nor did he think that tracking a herd would be the worst way to spend a day. Regardless he was ready to head in that direction with his company.

The reasoning he was presented with was sound. The male sounded bored, truth be told. He could empathize to a degree. Life as a loner was rather dull. Survival was a loner's only focus. They could not afford to busy themselves with pointless tasks or more in depth learnings. I enjoy the task. It is...dull as a loner. His shoulders shrugged half heartedly. Had he made the decision to become one? Yes, but he had not expected to be alone for so long.

Yes it is, he replied. So it seemed he wasn't the only one who found life without a pack to be not all it seemed. Of course, he was bogged down with responsibility that he found out too late he didn't want, in a pack that he felt viewed him as only a tool and not a man, so anything seemed better than that. Still, he was growing tired of the survival life, and he knew that soon he would be driven into pack-life once more; hopefully his next pack would be more deserving of his loyalty. 

It didn't take them long to reach to edge of the mountains. East didn't stop there but began to climb, searching for any indication the the herd had been here recently. There were none of the distinctive tracks among the loose rock and dirt or any lingering scent of deer anywhere that he could tell as he climbed higher. Occasionally, he glanced back to make sure his new tracking partner was still following, but mostly he kept his nose to the ground in search for anything of interest. After some time, their trek brought them to the large mouth of a cave in the side of the mountain. He could only see darkness inside, and the cloudy day offered no additional light. Curious as always, East stepped closer, cautiously sniffing the air around the opening as he stopped close enough the darkness to slowly peer in. He couldn't really tell much from where he stood other than there were no dangerous scents wafting from the cave, but he was overcome with the strong urge to go inside and explore. he turned back to the other man, a questioning look on his face. It's not the deer, but it looks interesting, he said with a shrug. Want to go inside and explore? he asked, hoping his answer would be yes.

They fell into some sort of lull with each other as they made their way to the mountains. Which was fine by Konstanty. He was no doubt considered wordy by his family's standards but that did not mean he liked needlessly chattering away. So he felt free to let his attention focus on other things. Like the way the earth seemed to curve around them or the lack of deer scent on the breeze.

Desolate was, perhaps, a good word for this place. He enjoyed it all the same though. The lack of faces besides the one near him did not bother him.

His brows pinched together as he gave thought to the cave. Konstanty admittedly had little experience with them. Yet it beckoned him forth with its mystery and sheltered cover. Yes. He finally breathed out in response. It was with the utmost care that he made his way inside. Do you know this place? His voice threatened to echo and bounce against the walls but lucky for him, they were not inside the cave enough for the effect to be worthwhile.

No, I have never been here before, he answered as they advanced into the cave, glad that the other man seemed just as interested as he did in what lied beyond the darkness. Once his eyes adjusted a little, he could see that, initially the cavern was large. Long, pointy rocks reached down from the pitted ceiling like spikes. More of these spikes came up from the ground as well, and some that he passed had a circumference larger than he was long. The dark purples and greys of the cave were bright and sparkly at first with the light from the entrance shining in to illuminate the area but as he moved farther into the darkness where the light started to fade into the background, it became harder to see where he was going. The warrior slowed a little, trying to feel his way around so that they could continue to move forward. He wasn't done exploring yet, and he was curious to see even more of the inside of this mountain. 

When they had walked for a while in what he thought must be the literal void, he was about to suggest they turn around, but then he saw the barest hint of light break through the blinding dark. He had to fight to keep his pace slow so that he didn't trip and fall on his face in his moment of excitement.

It didn't take them long to reach the source of the light: an even larger cavern than the one near the entrance spread out before them. A hole in the ceiling allowed the sun to shine in, creating a spot light in the center of the spacious cavity. The shaft of light ended in a large pool of water, the sound of the small waterfall that fed it from whatever river carved its way through the mountains could be heard running and splashing into the small pond on the side directly opposite them. There was a series of ledges leading down from where they stood and with a shrug and a glance to his fellow explorer, East began to make his careful decent down into the intriguing cavern. Once on steady ground again, he wasted no time making his way to the crystal blue water, it's shimmering surface pulling him to the edge of the cool liquid. He lowered his head to sniff the liquid at his paws and after deeming it fit to drink, he used his tongue to lap some of the fresh-tasting water into his mouth. Licking his lips, he lifted his head to see where his company was, wondering if the dark man was just as enamored with this place as he was.

Strangers in a strange place.

Konstanty could not figure out if what to make of the situation. He supposed that if things went south, neither of them would have an advantage. Not a sound escaped him as he trailed along the cavern walls, following the footsteps of his companion. It was an easy way to kill time, that much he was certain of.

Light faded though and he found them deep in the darkness of the earth. It was then that unease seemed to creep up on him. A small fluff of his fur would have given away his feelings had there been a light source to expose his form more. Yet he was a creature of (mostly) shadows that found himself shrouded in the shadows of the cave.

Not for much longer though.

Light filtered in and the sound of footsteps paired with the trickle of water. Had he not had such already tall ears, there was no denying they would have raised with interest. He followed until they reached the ledges that would carry one down. It was there he lowered himself to the cool ground. His posture was akin to a sphynx-like position. Crimson eyes watched with ease as his companion partook in their finding.

A lovely place. He hummed softly as his gaze roamed to look up at the entrance of sunlight.

East dipped his head in response to the other man's observation before turning back to the water. He was drawn to the liquid and wondered when he had last indulged himself with a swim. It had been at least since before he left Drageda, and he felt the immediate need to change that. Silently, he waded in, the cool water sinking down to his skin as he submerged his body under the surface of the pond. He flicked his gaze to where the dark man was reclined, his expression inviting him to join of he wished, but not demanding it. Then, he swam farther into the depths of the water, enjoying the moment completely, with no regard for time or responsibility.