Blackfoot Forest crossroads

First posts always feel so clunky lol, anyone welcome!

As the sun began to dip below the horizon, a mist settled low upon the ground, marring the landscape in a ghostly haze. Despite her pale coat, the loner began to feel a little like a target, and so moved towards a forest for shelter.

Not that this territory was any less eerie. While it was not quite nightfall just yet, the girl's form was quickly enveloped in darkness as she entered the forest, the snow falling from above dampening the usual sounds of a woodland such as this. Pukei felt like she had to hold her breath so as not to disturb the silence. Her hurried strides turned into a slow moving amble, paws tentatively picking through the icy detritus of the forest floor.

She just had to decide to adventure forth in the dead of winter, didn't she? No-one from the pack had even given it a second thought – no warning, just a see ya and some well wishes and that was that. Maybe they were relieved she had finally left. Maybe they were hoping she would perish in her travels to the northern lands.

With a scowl, Pukei shook the negative thoughts from her mind and continued onwards, pressing deeper into the woods in search of somewhere to rest for the cold night ahead.

He made himself double back to the forest only to check for final signs of Djinn or Mercedes, although they had not been present the last time, and really Glaukos was only doing this to give Javelina and their impending future some space.

Glaukos crossed through the outer limits of the forest and picked up the scent of fox, which never abated despite his avid hunting, and followed a trail until he lost interest.

Before he knew it, Glaukos had clawed his way to the heart of the weald, and night was falling. He loosed a slew of low pitch curses, realizing he had roamed too long and Javelina might take notice.

He failed to detect the wolf nearby, as he was lost in his own drama.

Quiet as it was, Pukei quickly realised she was not alone in this forest. An ear swivelled as she heard the footfalls of another along with some muttered words that she was scarcely able to pick up. A shiver ran down her spine and the loner came to a complete stop, front paw left hanging in the air midstep. She almost went to call out who's there before biting her tongue. No, that's how you invite danger to you.

Instead, the girl slunk slightly to the ground and stalked forward, nose wiggling as she tried to place whereabouts the stranger was. Well, the scent was definitely wolf. Yet the figure that she spied spelled a different story.

"Woah..." she breathed as she spied the giant, dark form lumbering through the trees. She had never been this close to a bear before, but imagined this was a little what it felt like. She had never been on the receiving end of their teeth, either, and wasn't keen on finding out right now.

Silver eyes locked on the hulking man, Pukei skulked further forwards to escape his eyesight – ever so painfully slowly and quietly – unwilling to draw the attention of the brute.

He could choose to hike through the night and be nearer the bypass by morning, or stay in these woods. If he stayed he'd have a higher chance of hunting some of those foxes — maybe even bring home some meat for Druid. If he left now — ah, but it had started to snow.

The forest caught the flurry in its boughs while some dappled at him at an angle, through a gap in the trees. The man snorts and lurches on, unaware he is being watched. Glaukos seeks a view of the sky so he can ascertain the state of it; if there was ample cloud-cover he would know to stay here for the night.

His broad body leaves a trail, depressing the older snow around his steps as he moves, and if he had been paying attention to the forest rather than seeking a view of the sky, maybe he would have become aware of his audience.

Wrapping up here as it makes sense and this is a pretty old thread haha

He seems not to notice her for now, instead distracted by something in the sky. Pukei tries to crane her neck out to see whatever has caught the man's attention, but is far too out of the way. Besides, she should be focusing on creeping away before she becomes his focus.

With an intake of breath, she holds still and waits for the brute to pass her by completely, his grey form slipping into the shadows and the heavy footfalls giving way to silence once more.

She wasn't even certain if he would have been unfriendly, but she was not at all confident in her ability to fend off such a large stranger if so. It was best to simply hide from such threats until she got a better idea of the sorts that called this place home.

After a few moments more, the girl finally rises and gives a shake of her pelt, casting one last glance to where the male had disappeared to before heading in the opposite direction, resuming her search for a cozy place to sleep once more.