Blackfoot Forest One less regret

Open to anyone! <3

How long had it been? Keyni had stopped keeping track of time, since the day of that dreadful landslide. The very one that sealed the only entrance to Asterism Grove. She had been lucky to escape unharmed, but unlucky in that she had been on the outside. Cut off from the majority of the pack. For a little over a week, she had lingered by the blockage, fretting. Searching and even hoping to find a way back in. But it was impossible. No one could come searching for her. All she could do was send out a baying howl to let them know she was alright...if they heard her call.

Seeing little reason to hang around, isolated from the group and with prey so scarce, Keyni chose to move on. She would take her chances going it alone again, testing her luck and hoping for the best, before winter set in. Time was both with her and against her. The rumbling quakes beneath the earth had stopped, making traveling less hazardous. But already, a sharp chill was in the air. Snow now lined the ground beneath her very paws. Her long journey took her north, and then east, into slices of the Wilds she had never yet explored. She traveled in silence, with that same calmness as always. Though this time, as she found herself lost amidst a great forest, her sense of peace was replaced with longing. Oh, what she'd give to see a face...any face.

oh! be careful what you wish for.

terance had agreed to take pike a little further from the hollow than usual, letting him explore on his own so long as he didn't go more than a territory off... somewhere he could howl for help if he needed. pike was pretty certain he wouldn't need help, but arbiter had always made sure he knew to have some common sense, so the mouthy boy listened to his parents on this matter. he got a little bit of freedom -- that was all that mattered.

pike knew his dad was looking for herds, and so he was doing the same. he'd used the same scent terance had found but... eh, he wasn't doing so well. it seemed he'd lost the trail quite some time ago. now he was just wandering, and he didn't mind that too much.

he'd come across a forest that wreaked of foxes. like, PHEW it was kind of a lot. pike's nose was visibly scrunched up, deciding pretty quickly that this was not it, chief. he was actually about to turn around when he spotted another wolf -- a lady -- and barked out right away to get her attention. oops, what was that mom had said about common sense? oh well. 

hey!! it smells so bad here!! he called out, looking a little exasperated, fang stuck out over his bottom lip. boy! he hoped she was friendly.

just here for a cameo...unless...haha just kidding...but what if ? also had to edit because bad timeline

There would soon come a time wherein Bhediya's age kept her from such frequent travels. Going from the river to the forest was once a morning's work, but as her joints became more fragile, the trips became longer. 

It'd taken nearly half a day to make it to the mountain-bordering forest. It was quiet there, and while the canopy kept out most of the sunlight, it provided shelter from any wayward snow. Like the boy she would come to see, Bhe scrunched her nose upon noticing the sharp scent of fox urine. They're dead now, I hope. 

There were two strangers not far off from where she'd come to stand. Bhediya watched them in silence, falling down onto her side into a proper lounge. Should one of them see her, she might have issued a friendly chuff.

Happy to have the both of you! :3

The stench of fox was all over the place in this forest. The smooth skin of her muzzle wrinkled while her nose burned. Could she have chosen a worse place to wind up lost in? Well, she supposed so, if it were overrun by foxes. But there was not even a glimpse of fiery orange fur in sight. Keyni was however, most certainly not alone.

A bark of another immediately made her turn her head, following the source of the youthful voice. He was only but a child, cloaked in gray with striking black points and dabs of white on the chest and tail. What caught her was his apple green eyes, so unlike her own. A ways behind the boy, Keyni had not missed the lounging dark figure of a smaller, more mature woman.

Fortunately for Pike and even the adult, Keyni was anything but un-friendly. Her jade eyes held a quiet wisdom beyond her years, her soft features matching her peaceful but undeniably strong nature. "So I noticed." She hummed agreeably. "The foxes certainly left their mark..." She commented, inching forward. Skimming her eyes along the ground, she searched for prints. They could still be here. Or worse; dead and rotting, victims crushed beneath several of the felled trees in this forest.

no kidding!! chirps pike brightly, his tail waving to-and fro. he notes the shift of this ladies gaze, something arbiter had taught him (1 point for mom!), and turns his head to look at the dark woman in the distance. she was fluffy! kind of like dad, but more kempt. maybe it was because of all his scars, but pike rarely thought that terance looked well-groomed. then again, neither did he!!

his tail wagged again to spot her, and he looked between the two women (even though the one was a fair distance off). i'm pike! he said with a grin, from lost creek hollow, my dad and i are on a hunting patrol right now. kind of. more like, terance was, and pike was... here.

Lost Creek Hollow, the boy said. The name sounded familiar, though not enough so to be placed. Bhediya tried to remember where she'd heard it as she emerged from the shadows. A friendly smile was offered to both strangers (rather, the stranger and Pike). What are you hunting? she asked. Getting pointers from a child wasn't ideal, but it was better than nothing.

I'm Bhediya. The introduction was intended mostly for the other adult. This is definitely fox territory, yeah. It seemed that a majority of them were absent, though she wasn't complaining. It wouldn't be long before they made a triumphant return.