Neverwinter Forest The Crazies

Maybe @Mazi? I need to get this girl rollin'!

Astra walked throughout the forest, confusion showing through her features. It was odd the see the evergreens stripped of their needles. They were bare and spindly, looking as if they could fall over any second. Everything looked almost... unhospitable. But Astra wasn't about to give up on it. She was able to peer through the naked brownness and saw how it really did look. With the green at least. She noticed little sprouts of grass here and there, and some of the trees were beginning to grow back a couple needles on every other tree. It was amazing how well nature could repair itself.

All day today Mazi had just been wandering around, searching for any sign of food that she could find for her new pack, sadly enough, but not surprisingly, she had ended up empty pawed after searching for hours on end.  She was very disapointed by this so in result she was beating herself up for the loss of food.  You can do better than this Mazi, what are you a wussy?  A chicken?  She thought rather grumpily to herself.  Why was life so imperfect?  Sometimes it just really sucked.

 

That was when she noticed the black furred female.  She seemed to be staring...?  At the trees?  Was she a naturlist maybe?  Mazi didn't know, but found herself slightly nerved for some reason.  She vaguelly remembered this wolf from the attack of the Locusts.  She had been very calm... curiousity spiked in Mazi.  Who was this wolf?  "Hello."  Mazi spoke in a neutral tone, as the agouti began to pad closer to the ebony female.

Astra turned at the sound of a voice, raking her green eyes from the tree. Her ears burned with embaressment. Was she caught staring at the tree? She dipped her head to the agouti and gaving her a chuff of greeting. "Hello." Astra didn't talk much, she was more of the kind of wolf that hung by herself. But, this wolf seemed friendly enough! She sat down as the stranger approached, her mind searching frantically for something to say. The awkward silence grew longer until finally she opened her mouth to say something. But just because she opened her mouth doesnt mean she made a sound. Frustrated with herself, she tried again. "I'm Astra." She said with as much confidence as she could muster.

This wolf seemed very... awkward.  As she returned a greeting things got even more awkward.  First off she just looked like she was in deep thought for a while and then she tried to... imitate a fish maybe?  Was that what this wolf had tried to do?  This was quite interesting....  Finally the wolf gave Mazi her name, Astra, the name sounded mysterious like the black furred wolf herself.  Huh.  Funny.

"I'm Mazi."  The gray and redish agouti returned in a formal tone, quite levelly.  Then contiuned on, not wanting to make any awkwardness mistakes right now, because she did not feel like being a hypocrite.  "How long have you been here?"  Mazi then asked curiously.

Astra took a deep breath. Jesus, she was making such a fool of herself! Finally, she regained her full confidence and launched into the conversation. "It's nice to meet you Mazi," She said with a half-hearted smile. Then Mazi asked an interesting question. How long has she been here? She knew it hasnt been long, but she wouldn't quite remember. "A... week? I think. Maybe more." She replied, all awkwardness gone. She sat down on her rump as the female seemed to be giving her quizzical glances. Go figure, it was probably from the way she had started off the conversation. "How about you?" She asked, pushing her embaressment away for later. She knew she would feel it full force once Mazi was gone, but now was not the time for her to beat herself up. She had to make a good first impression! At least a good rest of the first impression.

The ebony female responded a lot more fluently this time, to the point where Mazi pretty much approved.  A week this wolf had been here.  That almost made her smile.  Same for herself!  A small smile worked it's way upon her features as she was asked the same question.  "I've been here about a week too."  She smoothly responded. "But I was in a Pack before this one called Redhawk Caldera, for about two months in the Teekon Wilds."  She added, with a little bit of a frown.  "I came here with Nadie, if you know her.  The Alpha's were kind to let us in."

Mazi swept her gaze over the territory for a moment, when a sudden realization dawned on her.  The ebony furred wolf still had not told her her name.  Mazi decided to ask.  "What's your name?"  She asked naturally, in a slightly curious tone.

Astra smiled. Maybe she'd made a friend. The girl asked her what her name was and Astra grew a bit confused. Hadn't she already mention this? Astra wasn't the best at conversations, but maybe this pack would help her come out of her shell a little bit. They all seemed to be quite talkative. 

"Uhh.. Astra," She said, certain that she had said it once before. But she shrugged it off, guessing either Mazi or herself had simply forgotten. It happens to all of us at one point so why linger on it?

Mazi had indeed forgotten that Astra had already told her her name.  If she had remembered she porbably would have felt guilty to be troubling the black furred female, but she didn't remember, so she would not discover that fact unless Astra made her, which there really was no point in doing.  Now though Mazi had the name Astra for this Ebony wolf locked strong and tough in her brain.  "Pretty name.  Mysterious."  The golden eyed agouti remarked absently.

Mazi was about to ask the wolf if she wanted to hunt, but after a moment of hesatation, she decided against it.  Then the idea drifted in and out a few times, before she reaccepted the idea.  They could at least try.  It could help out on her trade of a hunter, if she still was going to contiune to pursue it, and if she and Astra did catch anything it would be great for the wellbeing of the new pups, along with their Mother, and the pregnant female.

Astra smiled and her tail began to sway back and forth ever so slightly. She was beginning to like this female. Despite her shy demeanor, Mazi had stuck around to get to know her just a bit better. Sometimes, a shy wolf needed someone like her to help out. "Thank you. I do believe it means 'stars'", She added.

Her piercing green gaze travelled around the bare forest with a sigh. If only the locusts hadn't come... Suddenly, her stomach growled. The female hadn't eaten in days, and her ribs and hips jutted out. The ridges of her spine poked through her fur, and her eyes had sunk in a little bit. She was having a hard time focusing and paying attention. Astra was so focused on keeping her pack mates alive, she wasn't focused enough on... well... keeping herself alive!

Stars.  Mazi's eyes almnost instantly zeroed in on Astra's pelt, searching in the ebony, that seemed as dark as the midnight sky, for anything that appeared to look like stars, to make Astra appear galaxy-like.  Astra wasn't speckled or anything, but he did have those grogeous, pierce green eyes that seemed to stare right through her and the splotches on white on her paws, ears and tail tip.

"Well, I suppose you do look somewhat like a galaxy."  Mazi whispered quietly under her breath.  The agouti did after all had to admit that Astra was pretty galaxy-like.  Even if it was quietly, although even she wasn't sure whether it was a completement or something else.  The sound of a growling stomach caught her attention and she narrowed her eyes at the skinny female.  "When was the last time you ate?"  Mazi questioned Astra.

White ears twitched back and forth a back and forth, pricking only when Mazi muttered something under her breath. What did she say? Astra couldn't tell. She narrowed her eyes in thought. Maybe it wasn't meant for her ears. Soon, the female moved on to another topic and Astra tilted her head. 

"Uh-umm... Maybe a couple days ago...?" She murmured. Her green eyes blinked thoughtfully as she studied the girl before her. She was skinny enough but she supposed she wasn't as skinny as Astra herself. She gave a small frown and peeped up again. "But I'm fine. I may not be the best hunter, but I can fair just fine," She muttered in defense, although it really wasn't needed. The woman was probably just worried for her packmate.

Although a couple days with no food was starting to become common for Mazi, she frowned upon this for her packmates.  She instantly decided on this note that she would go take Astra on a hunting expidition... if she was willing.  "Well then.  Why don't we go on a little hunting trip, huh?  I mean I can always help you out if you don't think yourself as the best hunter anyways."  Mazi offered to the galaxy-like female.

Mazi then waited for Astra's response.  The agouti female really hoped that Astra would want to go attempt to catch something, because Mazi herself in fact was starting to get pretty hungry.  As if to clarify it on cue her stomach gave a rumble.  Mazi looked down at her paws for a few moments, a little bit embaressed.  Then she glanced back up and once again awaited Astra's reply.

Astra thought for a moment. Yes, she was a decent hunter, so why not try? She gave Mazi a nod. "Oh-Okay." She said, tail wagging. This could be a good chance for her to develop her hunting skills, and make a new friend. Well, she guess she is already Mazi's friend of sorts, but it was good to spend more time with her, however shy she was. 

She padded beside Mazi and she began their tavels. She had no idea where the two where headed, nor did she asked. She just followed in Mazi's footsteps. Wherever she was to take them would surely end up in a good hunt, right? Mazi knew this place better than her, so why interfere?

Mazi was pretty delighted when Astra agreed on the hunting idea.  This was great!  Maybe she could show off her fishing skill... if luck was on her side, because of this cruel famine.  Yet Mazi still held onto some fragments of hope.  One day everything would and could be restored right?  She didn't know, but sure hoped so.

"So... want to go see if we'll have any luck with fishing?"  Mazi asked Astra with a slight cock of her head to add in to the question.  Then Mazi stayed stone still as she waited for Astra to respond with what would hopefully be a yes.

Fade with your post?

 

Astra smiled as Mazi offered up fishing. She's never fished before, so her friend will have to teach her, but it shouldn't be too hard to learn... right? She shrugged the worries off and gave Mazi her response. "I-I would love to fish... B-But you'll have to teach me." She stammered, looking briefly at her paws before glancing back up at the road She soon heard the faint noises of a creek bubbling over rocks and smiled. Maybe she'd get a meal today?

Sounds good.  :)  Thanks for the thread.

Mazi found herself excited to teach Astra how to fish, as soon as her new friend told her that she didn't know how.  Mazi loved fishing, just loved, loved, loved it.  Fishing after all had been a way of life for her pack back in Yellowstone.  Plus Mazi had always been the natural fisher.

As the two headed out the agouti began to talk about the art of fishing.  How you should never let your shadow stray over the body of water, how you had to wait until the fish was right before you and that you were ready for it, to kill it as quickly as possible so it's wriggly floppy time didn't last as long, etc.  The whole time though almost anyone could obviously tell that Mazi was very passionate about fishing.