Bearclaw Valley birds of a feather

maybe for @Rala ? uwu and a tag for Cole due to a mention!

getting herself acquainted with the rest of bearclaw was intimidating. starting a new life is intimidating. she'd once been a social butterfly, eager to spread its wings and float amongst those unfamiliar. but now, as she stands in the heart of the territory, she feels...out of place. she sits and watches, chin tucked to her chest, as many pass by. too shy to introduce herself, too anxious to ask if anyone needed assistance. 

@Cole was the only one she knew, and while she would've liked to follow him like a shadow, she didn't wish to become overbearing. or perhaps obvious—she couldn't quite tell, with all of her emotions blending into some turbulent sea. 

today wasn't any different. she sat on the outskirts, a ghost of her former self, and yet she yearned for connection, for friendships, for the purpose she promised she'd find when she joined. her tail curled neatly around her paws and her heart thudding just a little harder in her chest, she awaited for her next opportunity, lest she just involuntarily take a vow of silence.

and it was to the very outskirts this stranger sat upon that nanuralaaq, snowwoman, huntress of the arctic plains approached ; within her maw was a scruffy snowhoe hare, dangling as she carried herself with the stalk of a lioness. her gaze, as she looked upon this pale figure, was curious, though careful. it was only closer when she approached that coles scent hit her face, and she paused for a moment, brows raised. a new member, rala thought to herself, and so her posture changed, loosened, as she approached.

in front of her, now, she'd place the rabbit before her paws. are you hungry? came lilting words. dawn hues would study a similarly pale face. perhaps they looked as if they could be related. maybe sisters, though this woman seemed to be the slightest bit younger than her. she wondered, then, if her pale appearance may hint to a similar lineage. my name is nanuralaaq. who are you? one of coles' strays, most likely.

just as she had been.

thankfully, she is approached, though it does little to ease the anxiousness gnawing at bird-like bones. the woman is cloaked in all white, almost like a gull that flew ahead back home, and carries herself with a confidence that winslet wishes she possessed. with a nervous, flighty smile, she dips her head in respect. and thanks, as it seems the woman wished to share her kill. 

"oh, thank you. that is very kind." she murmurs, her voice as timid as she appeared, but certainly friendly. at least, she was hoping it sounded such. it felt good to be in the company of another woman; one who's kind and giving, it seems. so she relaxes a fraction, her tail swishing for a moment in what might be joy. 

"nanuralaaq. i hope i didn't butcher it too badly. it's a beautiful name." she hummed. her eyes flitted between the hare and the snow-pelted woman; she pondered if it'd be rude of her to eat in front of someone she'd just barely met. "my name is winslet. i am...new. still trying to gather my bearings, i guess." she offered with a sigh

must eat during the winter, she says in careful tones ; there is an airiness in the way she speaks such a sentence, as if it is free and lacking the implications of wintertime deaths that are oh so prevalent. you have the hare. i can catch more, the pallid woman nodded to the rabbit, now, as if a silent urge to eat. she wanted to see the wolves of the valley with full frames and fuller bellies. spring was around the corner ; many would be eligible for children ... perhaps she thought herself amongst them.

winslet, she said, and so nanuralaaq came to terms with the fact that she was wrong in the assumption of a shared lineage, though she held no such sorrow upon her face. instead, she smiled, a warmth glimmering within her eye as she spoke. winslet, it is lovely, she gave a firm nod ; reassuring, as a mother would be for a child who was not quite sure of themselves. i am fairly new, too. i assume that you were recruited by cole, as well? as was i ; it is not too hard to fit in here, at all. have you met rex, or regina yet? ever the chatterbox. she did not pay too much mind to such.

i feel speaking with regina, @Ameline, is the best way to get comfortable.

with the snow-woman's gentle insistence, she leaned down to grasp the hare between her teeth. dragging it closer, to be held down by a small paw while she gently began to tear fur and skin from flesh. even with this she was delicate; even in the hare's death, she didn't wish to ruin it's fair pelt. the rabbit was a taste she had yet to acquire, as she was a woman raised on fish and clams. but it would do.

the compliment of her name is met with a shy smile, its warmth matching rala's. she takes a small bite of the hare's flesh before she straightens herself out, sage eyes meeting those of warm, molten light. she mentions cole, and just his name makes her heart skip a few beats. "he found me a while back, brought me here. he is a good man." was she gushing? 

the other woman's chattiness was welcomed, as she herself wasn't the biggest talker. rala made up for her quietness, and she enjoyed it. "i've met ancelin, though we didn't talk much..." she admitted. she should seek him out again, perhaps when she's more comfortable, in an effort to get properly acquainted. 

ameline. she remembers the rex briefly mentioning the regina; he'd told winslet the same thing. that a meeting with the regina should be in order. but...meeting a woman of such power and significance was intimidating within itself. what if she wasn't impressed? what if she didn't believe winslet could be valuable? 

she cares too much about others opinions. "everyone here seems pleasant, it's just...i don't know my place amongst you all. i don't think i have very much to offer." she frowned.

sigh...rala how i love u < 3

winslet my beloved

the face of a woman in awe was not unrecognisable to the woman who found herself infatuated with a man of her own. a knowing smile grew upon her pale face, but she would refrain from saying anything, for the newcomer was still young, and @Cole seemed much too old for her. double her age, it seemed, though her brows rose at the thought of cole, the self-proclaimed 'bad man', finding love.

but she thought, then, of the own gap within her relationship. whether cole's and winslet's bordered on normal or controversial was uncertain to her ; perhaps it was the youthful glow, the thin bones and the shy demeanor of the woman that made her seem younger. as if she were truly but a girl ; without pain, without loss. she hummed.

ancelin is a good man, agreed the snowwoman. it seemed that the aforementioned resident bad-boy seemed to have the rex as his go-to when it came to indoctrinating strays into the valley, for she had the very same experience hardly a moon ago. as long as your formal joining was not too hard, then there is nothing to worry about, conversation-wise. there is not much to be said during a first meeting, wisdom lacing her tongue. as if she were older than her years. there is always time.

and she gave a careful nod. you do not have to know, yet, came gentle words, guiding. now, nanuralaaq stood. they could wander through the valley as they chatted, so that winslet may familiarise herself with the lay of the land that was now her home ; a flick of her tail beckoned the girl to follow along. whether you want to hunt, heal, counsel, fight, or guard, her words were melodic, almost sing-song. there will be a place for you. even if you wish to do something more, like bring forth life to the valley, there was a twinge of humour in her voice as she said such a thing.

with a breath, nanuralaaq led the woman to her den. would you like to den near me, winslet? my mate, dolce, dens nearby, also. that way, you will not be alone.

LONG AWAITED REPLY, i am..so sorry it took this long ;;

rala was a wise woman! she spoke so confidently, so fluidly—winnie wished she had such poise and understanding about the world around her. the politics of packs and kingdoms. in that way, she still felt like a child. stumbling around aimlessly, struggling to grasp things out of her realm. but rala also had a soothing way of calming all of those doubts. 

she would find her way; it will just take time. she smiles, soft and warm. "you seem to have it all figured out. do you know what you wish to be here?" a gentle inquiry. perhaps, if their goals aligned, she could look to rala as a mentor and not just a friend. 

even if you wish to do something more, like bring forth life to the valley. a warmth spread from her cheeks to her ears, her eyes averting bashfully. children was something the young woman always knew she'd want, in due time. but to have it mentioned now made her feel flustered. "oh, well...children are fantastic, but...i'm not sure i'm quite ready for that." she mused with a swish of her tail. 

rala revealed she had a mate; how wonderful! it made winslet grin with joy. she had so many questions bubble in her mind; how did they meet? how was he as a lover? did they want children? 

but alas, she doesn't wish to bombard the woman, in fear of chasing her off. she would make a beautiful friend. "that would be wonderful!" she hummed. "and perhaps i could help you decorate your home? or..help with anything else, really."