Arrow Lake eyes carved in

there was a pack here; once. the scent marks are barely distinguishable, and easily missed, but combined with the remains of caches, the girl is confident that this place has not been empty long. hela noses at a carved-out burrow which once might have been a den, wondering idly what'd happened here. packs came and went, she knew, and stressors like the famine did not help. 

the mountains have been good to her, and while she's wandered into the valley oft, and occasionally the flatlands, she is ever drawn back here. small game seems easier to catch amongst the rock than it had been in the wood, after she'd gotten used to moving on the rock. it had taken two bad falls for her to gain her balance, and learn to test the rock and ice before moving. what supported a hare did not always support her. 

the birds are helpful, too. carrion birds and hawks seem plentiful, and she's learned following them to where they congregate yield rewards, most of the time. it's the flight of a raven she traces now as it circles lazily over the lake edge, minute adjustments to its wings all it needs to keep going for a moment, two at a time.

Perhaps it was due to the sea salt in his veins that caused the wayward youth to have a natural affinity for bodies of water - be them still or raging, he found nostalgic comfort in their presence. And so when the sting of his wound grew to an uncomfortable level, he sought the voiceless whispers of a lake to ease his growing pain. It was here where the icy touch of alpine water soothed the burn along his side, a mix of dried blood and dirt swirling about like the colors atop a watercolor canvas.

A hiss, sharp enough to cut through wind, fled from his lips as he fought off the urge to retreat from the water's chilling bite. He knew soon enough the pain would numb from the bitter temperature of the water and eventually bring him relief, but that didn't mean the journey there was to be all that enjoyable. And so when a distraction presented itself in the form of the girl's muted figure, Xizur found himself watching on with dull, jaded interest.

!!!

the hiss, distant as it is, certainly does not belong to any usual sound of the mountains, and her attention is swiftly pulled away from the bird. it is a wolf, who'd arrived at the lakeside somewhere in the time she'd spent watching the carrion bird. the prickle along her spine confirms that his gaze is fixed on her, and so she moves to close the distance between them, stiff-legged and comfortable among the rock.

he's young, she realizes as she nears, perhaps her age. that eliminates him fairly quickly as a suspect; though she hadn't seen the greyscale wolf around in days. he is half-submerged in the lake, jagged pieces of ice scattered loosely around where he lays. she pauses at a distance far enough to allow them more than enough personal space, while remaining within audible distance. "you lose a fight?" the behavior, while odd, is not unfamiliar; though she prefers snow to water, despite it being somewhat less effective. the blooming dirt and blood in the water are a clear indicator.

It was with dry amusement that he watched the distance between the two of them close, breath ragged and sharp as he felt the initial shock of the cold water begin to fade into numbness. It was with that chilling relief that he turned to face the fellow youth, silvery eyes fogged with a sense of curiosity as she tossed her question into the frigid midwinter air.

"Yes" he let out after a beat, head turning to glance downward at the muddled water now enveloping him in a ring of murky crimson. "Against a mountain" he tacked on soon after, interested to see what she'd have to say regarding his loss against what was no more than a steep hill.

her brow shifts, but she remains motionless. "I did not know it was possible to lose against an inanimate object," she answers. he didn't immediately come across as an idiot, so she supposed the made him clumsy. it is not so bad a thing as being an idiot, but it's hardly an attribute. 

she considers him a moment longer. there is something-half-familiar about the trace of his jaw, a nagging tug. she does not trust it immediately; it seems this mountain is packed with long-lost packmates, blood-relatives. she is only used to seeking out that familiarity before others note it in her, it does not mean anything substantial. "what's your name?"

Whatever reaction he might have hoped to stir from her was certainly not as lackluster as the response she'd given. Still, it was in that dry response that he found himself pleasantly surprised. He would have thought she'd tossed back some quick witted remark rather than answer his curiosity with a sentence that made her sound more intelligent than what he initially credited her for.

Amused and interested to see what else she might surprise him with, the agouti youth decided to entertain her questions for a moment longer. "Xizur" he replied as he sunk his toes into the lake's floor and turned to cant his head as if to ask for her name as well.

he answers easily, the name utterly foreign. she can not know him, she decides; she's looking for something that doesn't exist, no matter how common it seems, lately. "hela." comes her introduction, but her mind is already somewhere else. this boy is easy, simple to talk too and apparently straightforward. 

"there are a group of turkey, over the ridge." to flighty to try for herself, where there's so little cover and she doubts a solo hunt would be successful.  "we could hunt them. unless you'd rather lie there." it is a fair offer, made evenly; being alone has not been easy and food is often the very fore of her priorities, now.

Hela.

He thought her name fitting despite knowing nothing of it's origin, and was left little time to wonder on it's meaning before her proposition reached his ears. It did not take much to convince him of anything if food was involved and he quickly rose to shake the icy water from his pelt as soon as she'd extended the offer.

His wound, now numbed and temporarily pain free, was pushed to the back of his mind as he made his way to the lakeside, muscles stiff from their time submerged in the frigid waters. "Lead the way" came his choice of words as he stepped onto the snowy shore, ears upright and eyes set firmly on the girl as he waited for her to lead them toward what he hoped would be his next meal.

she nods, curt, and steps forward. auds move to catch the trickle of water onto the snow; though the relief might be worth it, she wonders if submerging one's self in a lake in the midst of winter is worth the risk. it is perhaps something her mother'd mention once, almost certainly after she'd near plummeted down the ravine. 

she ground slopes gently upward until it doesn't, and the pair stand at the crest of a ridge. the turkey are at the edge of a copse of trees, seemingly ignorant. a moment's consideration, and then a motion to the left, gaze moving to his as she issues the silent direction. she'll go right; if they're careful they can move through the trees, coming in on either side before making their move. a few remain half-within the wood; those seem the most obvious targets. with a glance at him to ensure he understands, she begins heading right.

No words are exchanged as he silently follows after her freckled form, his thoughts fleeting as she dishes out his speechless instructions upon their arrival at the ridge's peak. He understands and nods accordingly before slipping off towards the left, his attention set upon the few fowl that still remained within the woods.

It is when he finally reaches the forest's edge that he glances off in the girl's direction, sea salt eyes watchful for her movements as he positions himself a ways off from their feathered quarry. His toes itch to spring into action but he remains grounded, ever alert as he waits for her signal.

they meet their intended positions in due time, and with a glance to confirm he is at his, her tail lashes once. it is a signal that should be visible from where he lays in wait, and immediately thereafter she shifts smoothly into motion. a lunge shortens the distance between herself and the birds considerably, driving those within the treeline toward her companion. they scatter, calling loudly, and those in the clear take messily into the air. leaving Xizur to make his move, she targets one of the birds that had veered abruptly into the undergrowth. in a flurry of movement, each manages to take down a bird, making splitting the gains easily. they depart each other's company rather abruptly then, neither especially keen on eating with a stranger.