The Heartwood swift and deadly

Tagging @Lunaria - Hope this is alright!

He'd passed into gods forsaken territory. Corvo hadn't seen land so harshly burned in quite some time. The black char spread deep into the earth, and what trees remained standing stretched toward the sky like eerie scaled fingers. He could see it in his mind's eye, the fire rising, swift and deadly, eating up the ground and the trees and the brush with a hunger unlike any other. His paws kicked up grey dust with each step. Had he been lighter in color, the ash would've stained his coat, but as it was, it wasn't easy to tell Corvo's black fur was growing dirtier with each passing moment he spent in the wood. 

Most would've taken one look at the unfortunate forest and steered clear, supposing there would be no opportunity for food or water anyway, which was precisely why Corvo had chosen to pass through this territory. He figured he could travel unseen, for as long as this forest stretched. Then again, the hunch might not prove to be wise, since it had been a night's time since he'd hunted successfully. 

Still, Corvo thought, casting his gaze skyward to view the evening sun sinking low, he would honestly rather go hungry than risk interaction with another of his kind.

Perfect! Thank you for starting! ^-^

Winter was certainly not a kind maiden. The lives of many plants and animals were taken in the midst of her rage, and the either frozen or missing carcasses of potential food stock felt like a mocking blow to Lunaria. For so many opportunities she could've used to hunt down and put good use to the lives of many deer and rabbits -- winter was right around the corner to screw it all over. She could always wait for the meat to thaw down, of course, but who had time for that? And where would that even happen? It was clear there was no easier way out then -- the moon nymph would need to search for any live prey wandering about instead.

The winds and temperatures got even harsher during the later hours and she usually didn't leave the glen during this time, but Luna wanted to try testing her luck and see what she'd be able to catch tonight -- and if "Not a damn thing" was the answer this small trip gave her, well, at least the damsel tried.

She eventually found herself at the forever charred heartwood -- which ironically looked more depressing than it usually did when it was covered with snow. Though, ashed-over forest and frost wasn't the only thing that caught the huntress' eye; just up ahead was an.......elk? No, except, what if it was? It was dark and large -- that was the only thing she was able to register from the distance she was at before the snowfall screwed both her vision and sense of smell. So she stalked forward slowly from behind.

If it was an elk, then she sure hoped it was near death already so the kill would be easier -- because her size was certainly not an advantage against the beast. If it was a wolf, well, she'll find some kind of "Sorry thought you were food from a distance." excuse when the time comes...

No problem!

He didn't hear her at first, either from the simple surprise at finding life in such a dead space or from a lapse in his judgement. Whatever the case, when Corvo did detect the stranger it was only from the faintest crunch of snow beneath a step. He didn't stop walking, not wanting to alert his pursuer that he was aware of their presence. He wasn't yet sure of who followed him. Casting his eyes about while maintaining a smooth, steady gait, Corvo searched for any cover, but there was none to be had. 

In his mind, he cursed. He'd smelled the scents of other wolves about since entering this land, and he was at a disadvantage, not knowing the ways of any packs or other lone wolves nearby. He could be trespassing on another's land. He would have no idea. Of course, it wouldn't be the first time that Corvo had crossed paths with others of his kind on his hunt for his brother. These encounters were not always pleasant. He cared little for the rules and boundaries of others since he had no intention of lingering on their territory. But being alone, knowing that a pack or group would have an advantage over him, Corvo was hesitant to cross paths with other wolves. If that was who followed him now, it was looking as if Corvo wouldn't have a choice in the matter. 

Deciding this, he came to an abrupt halt, whirling to face whatever it was that crept behind him. He narrowed his eyes, nostrils flaring as he scented the air. All the while, his muscles remained taunt and tense, ready to flee if the encounter turned hostile.

Lunaria's target allowed her to give chase for a hot minute until they'd eventually turn around -- and it became clear that yeah, the snow really fucked her senses to not realize this was a wolf in the beginning. Eyes widening in the realization (and the fact that she was about to bump into him), the raven came to a halt and shifted rather awkwardly on her paws to meet their gaze. 

This man -- he was similarly dark pelted like Luna, but his gaze was a hardened gold in color; and of course, the size difference between the two. She said she'd figure out some awkward excuse as to why she'd been pursuing if it was a wolf, but the ebony woman couldn't think of anything that didn't sound suspicious or straight up...weird.

Instead, Luna decided to be blunt. "You looked like an elk from behind, must've been a fluke. Sorry." Even with here honesty, it still sounded weird, and hearing those words come out of her own mouth made it so damn hard not to laugh.

So there she stood, shuffling on her feet all fiddly-like, eyes staring off awkwardly, and an attempt not to bust into tears chuckling from how stupid she looked right now....

Corvo stared down at her, immediately noting the height difference between them as well as the distinct build contrast between them. He had not only height but weight on the female, but that would only mean her lean body was faster than his, despite Corvo being rather lanky. Her eyes, a greenish blue hue, stared up at him first with surprise and then with almost... mirth? Most noticeable to him was the X shaped scar along her chest. What was the cause of that, he wondered?

To her comment, Corvo cocked an eyebrow, looking down at her in disbelief. An elk? Maybe he wasn't as lanky as he'd thought. 

She shifted uncomfortably on her paws and he resisted the urge to do the same. Was he the butt of some joke? Had her packmates put her up to this? He had to wonder. After all, he'd never heard that excuse before. Most often his presence was met with warnings to leave the area, not comparisons with the wildlife and certainly not one so large. 

"A fluke on your end or mine?" he said, tone deeply sarcastic. "I can't be sure but I believe you're insulting me and I don't even know you." 

"I'm not! I swear..." she said a bit frantically in between escaped laughter. "It's just that I realized how silly that sounded coming out of my mouth. Mistaking an wolf for an elk -- I must be going blind from hunger or something..." A perplexing mistake that would've been embarrassing for anyone. It was definitely embarrassing for Luna, but the moon nymph was quite used to making a fool out of herself from time to time -- all for a quick laugh. The only thing she was really worried about was how the dark sire might've taken her small fit of amusement, she certainly didn't want to make him feel insecure about something she didn't mean.

Teal gaze trailing back up at the man before her, the raven shot him a sheepish chuckle. "Sorry If you thought I was making fun of you, though perhaps we can backtrack and make this introduction less uncomfortable..." Since it appeared that Luna was already staring to make the brute uncomfortable as is. "My name is Lunaria. My pack isn't that far from here, so I came to see if I could search for food..."

Blind indeed, Corvo thought with an indignant snort. And was she... laughing? He couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. He continued to stare down at her with a shrewd look, golden eyes narrow. And yet there was the faintest curve to his muzzle. Needless to say, he didn't like being made fun of, but even Corvo could admit the mistake was a funny one. Even at his expense. A need to maintain his usual cold exterior kept him from revealing this thought to the dark female however. 

At the mention of her pack, Corvo resisted the urge to take a step back, his gaze flitting behind her to search the lonely scorched trees. Were they close? Perhaps watching from the safety of nearby cover? No, there was no cover to be had here. He was safe. For now. And despite the fact that they'd gotten off on the wrong foot so to speak, the female, Lunaria, was attempting to recover to her credit. 

"Corvo," he offered, eyes returning to hers. "You always greet wanderers with such a warm welcome or am I just lucky?"

The moon nymph assumed the atmosphere still ran thick in the air by the way his sulphuric gaze peered down at her in judgment -- though she could've sworn a thin smile painted his lips as well, if not by a little. Was it a smile? It wasn't too obvious to know, though he certainly didn't seem like the type to be keen on wearing emotions on his sleeve. Thats fine....

Her introduction was met with a noticeable flicker of attention from behind her, as if the dark sire was searching for something, and Lunaria would briefly tilt her head in question to what he could've been looking for. Perhaps it was the mention of her pack back in the glen, which could lead her to assume the rouge felt uneasy around pack territory. 

Let's fix that. "Perhaps you are lucky. I mean,, you wouldn't have been greeted all too well if you did happen to be a tasty-looking elk." The ebony huntress remarked playfully, lips curving into a mischevious grin. Nothing like a few jest here and there to lighten the mood -- hopefully it would help Corvo realize there was nothing to be afraid of around her, too. 

Plopping herself to sit on the sheet of snow, the raven lifted her head to peer at the darkening sky above -- a scene that gave her euphoric chills whenever she awaited the soon-to-be starry sky. "So then Corvo, now that I know your not a hooved meal looking for his herd, what....are you looking for?  I mean, what brings you to these depressing-looking woodlands?"

"I suppose you have a point there," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. It wasn't often Corvo counted himself lucky to be one of his kind, it was true. 

He watched the smile appear on her muzzle and found himself resisting the urge to smile back. It was a bit infectious, much as Corvo would hate to admit it. But he'd met others who made as good of an impression before too, and that hadn't always worked out in his favor. He'd learned that even family couldn't be trusted in this world. A hard lesson. 

He did not mirror Lunaria's movements, choosing instead to continue standing. He felt safer this way, more prepared in case he needed to make a quick exit. She went on to ask him what he was doing here, in this territory, no doubt a least a day's distance from her pack's home. Unwilling to give away to much of the truth, he followed her gaze skyward to buy himself time. Finally, after a moment's consideration, he answered. 

"Just wandering. I guess you could say I outgrew my previous lodgings."