Jade Fern Grove All under

Though the sun had glinted blindingly off the early snows on much of her travels here, it now was fractured and hidden by the trees above. They weren't as impressive as those back in the hollow, but it was at least familiar. The land itself was less so. She hadn't spent too much time this far away in a while, and the snow muted the landmarks she might have remembered.

Instead she wandered, somewhat aimlessly, ears and nose keen for the scent of any others in the area. She had a list to check off, and some exploring to do before she could mark them as done.  Perhaps she'd find signs that the world was repairing itself after the idiocy it had put everyone through -- that would be a sign of true promise. Still, she had to keep moving for now, there was much to do before she'd head home.

her second time to be present for the snow to start falling in the teekon wilds. it had come as a rather surprising observation, never had she expected to remain here for any length of time and yet over a year later...here she was. in the few days since andraste had allowed her to join her forming mountain group, tundra's health had returned in quite the speedy manner. all it had really required was a substantial meal, something that might've been easily accomplished before yet even aside from the quickly approaching winter, the earth's recent...misbehaviours..had made that extremely difficult. yet the ghost is....restless to say at the least. months had passed since her separation from blackfeather and although thoughts of her home /because it would always truly be home to her/ had grown fainter in their urgency, she missed the woods dreadfully. especially because that wasn't the only thing to concern her now, she'd promised rosencrantz she'd find rusalka and although she didn't exactly expect the man to be awaiting her arrival or anything, something about pledging herself to this..c..courtfall had opened a whole pit of doubt and unease.

in reality it would've been that or succumb to the elements and although the latter hadn't seemed too bad at the time, she didn't actively seek death so it had been instinct to let the pale, scarred woman prevent her untimely demise. also it wasn't like she could just take their food and leave, she had more honour than that. so this is where it landed her, destined to always be discontent due to nothing but her own stupid actions. 

she hadn't really interacted with any of her new pack, she probably should but sure...there was time for that. right now all she wanted was to feel at some sort of ease and so her paws had led her from courtfall's claim the moment dawn made its appearance to actively seek the woods she'd passed by a week or so prior. it is as if the phanthom like being becomes alive, truly the moment the canopy casts shadows dancing upon her liquid form. soft inhales of heavily scented forest, of course forever paling in comparison to the dark, sheltered blackfeather but this was something and so she relished in its ability to draw something from aching insides.

yet she is not alone and it is with a steady blink that the small ivory fae watches the distant wolf reproachfully. yet, curious too- ears leaning forward as dark eyes make no effort to conceal their resting upon the larger woman.

Sorry for the huge delays on my part! Late November through Christmas like.. Nukes me off the face of the planet. X.x  I'm fine with booting it a little bit forward in time if you want! Maybe not all the way to present, but forwardish.

The signs she found of the world going back to normal were maybe just those that this place wasn't inhabited really in the first place.  Add enough wolves to an area and it'd certainly wipe out the amount of available food, so was this place not far enough from everyone else to be plentiful or was it all effected?  She still hadn't find sign of deer or moose or anything else significant, which wasn't a good sign, but certainly the distance meant if she looked hard enough they'd probably find more here than back at the Hollow... If only because they hadn't eaten it all yet.

Not yet, though.  She swept and scanned the area, and what she spotted was a wolf, not a hare.  Arbiter's calculating stare was her normal intense scrutiny, looking the other woman over and going through her normal predictions of threat versus not, but until she found her pack a new home, all wolves that weren't allies were dyed a bit more threatening to her.  Their existence could be a curse if they weren't in her ranks.  And so, she had to investigate -- it wasn't like either of them was hiding -- she walked forward with a whuff, sniffing at the air as she closed the distance, trying to figure out how this wolf should be treated.  Unfamilar.  Where are you from?  She was nothing if not practical, always the soldier making sure she was on the metaphorical higher ground.

it's all good! im also sorry for the delay and am happy to push it forward!<3

she's quick to be noticed as eyes of piercing azure fix their crystalline stare on her svelte figure. a slow swish of her feathered tail as inky eyes track the approaching movements coolly, marvelling at the sheer imposing size of her company's figure. a brow arches at her means of introductory words and she feels her pelt ruffle slightly with indignation. this was neutral ground she shouldn't feel quite so interrogated and her gaze narrows slightly on the woman. still, no aggression seems to taint the air and if anyone could recognise the diligent air of one who simply skipped over niceties to cut to exactly what they both wanted to know it was tundra. strange that such an approach had become so foreign to the pale soldier, was it that she was getting used to being around those who would be offended by this blunt approach. returning quite the aloof look, tundra had to fight down urges to retort that since this woman had approached her, she should offer up first and instead just answer with a prompt steadiness; "courtfall" 

these is something oddly comforting about this new presence and for once tundra does not feel under pressure to stick strictly to social norms. jaws part to let forth another string of words before the other can get through again: "and who is asking?" returned smoothly as the spectre rolls back her shoulders, not once relieving the hooded woman of her tenebrous stare.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized that perhaps her curiosity was from the fact that she hadn't done this in some time.  The wolves she'd spoken to lately had been of her own pack or Easthollow.  That had been part of the reason that numbers had dwindled, she suspected -- there were just not enough strangers found that could be convinced to return to their ranks.  Obviously this woman had her own home to go back to, so she was likely also another who would remain unconvinced, but at the very least Arbiter could learn more about those out there.  It could end up aiding Jomyo as well.  She was calm, but curious.

Arbiter.  Of Lost Creek Hollow -- though we are no longer located there.  Since they hadn't settled on a permanent location nor had she given a temporary name much thought at this point, that was the only identifier she had.  It made sense that if some packs had vanished that others may have formed.  She was fairly sure that the pack she was from wasn't particularly close either -- so it made sense that she was unknown.  But who were they, then?  Might as well ask.  I'm not familiar with Courtfall, an odd name too, she thought, for why would someone put 'fall' in any name?  Is it a newer pack?  If moving north had put them within range of another pack, she needed to know.