Wild Berry Meadow Faint of heart

@Judas

It turned out Mitanni liked being part of a pack more than she thought she would. It was nice having so many other wolves around and knowing they had her back, and that she could go to them if she had trouble or just needed some conversation. But the woods still unsettled her. The cold, quiet of winter only made them spookier, and she'd had to step out before she skittered like a pup in search of one of them. It would have been embarrassing for it to happen a second time.

So beyond the border she went. The mottled black and brown female traveled south from the Phantom Hollow, relaxing as she wandered into a place that was still green beneath the snow. She could breathe easy here, and didn't feel as jumpy as she had back on the Moonlit Hills territory. "You got to get used to it sometime," she whispered, scolding herself and her silly actions.

Eventually she would go back--she had to--but for now Mitanni wandered through the snow-covered meadow, eyeing the visible bits of green as she went.

After that encounter with that big, grumpy wolf that he suspected did not like him one bit, Judas headed inward of the Teekon Wilds. Snow covered much of the land. Green grass covered by thick layers of white, powdery snow. A winter wonderland, as some would call it. But to him, the snow took his camouflage. The good side of winter was that the dark times of days were longer. And darkness he enjoyed to lurk in.

However, instead of taking cover on the way, he went in a straight line. That large wolf could be following, and he constantly looked over his shoulder. Yet this time, something else caught his attention. He crouched low, although without tall grass it would not do much good. He spied another wolf across the meadow. His eyes watched them, examining them for anything from injuries to scars to empty spots on the pelt where fur should be. Overlooking their structure and muscles, trying to judge what kind of adversary they would be.

She continued to stroll along through the wintry meadow, her nervousness nearly gone now. What had she been afraid of again? It was just a forest. Just a shadowy, foggy, eerily silent forest. Nothing at all to be afraid of.

A heavy breath of silent laughter exited her muzzle and fogged in the air, and as she panned her amber eyes across the snow-covered terrain she spied another spot of color. It wasn't the green of the plants, nor did it resemble any trees or stones. It looked...actually, somewhat like a figure lying down.

Her ears perked, and just a little sliver of anxiety settled in the back of her mind. Obviously the individual was hiding. If he was hiding, that meant he didn't want to socialize with her. Tentatively, afraid of upsetting him, Mitanni stopped walking and settled slightly into her typical, almost-crouching posture, eyeing the stranger and wagging her tail a few times against her haunches in a friendly display. Hopefully that would appease him; if not, she'd just leave.

Judas eyed the wolf from afar. And as it turned out, they too stayed afar. They were a black-brown wolf. They were quite small. From this distance, he couldn't tell whether they were male or female. So he started to take a couple steps closer. Slow, small steps. His gaze didn't move off them for a second. He had learnt not to trust their kind, ever since that moment that felt so long ago.

The male wolf stopped short when their scent hit him. A pack wolf. Female. Could cause trouble if they both were near the pack's grounds. But he wasn't called silver-tongue for nothing. No, he was quite the talker. He perked his ears up, lifting his head up. One of his forepaws were towards the side, in case he had to make a clean getaway. But not without some information. He planned to get as much as he could out of her. Without a drop of blood being spilled.

"Hello there, young lady. Nice day for a stroll, I take it?" he asked rather loudly, cocking his head a little to an angle in curiosity. "Just taking in the scenery?" He accompanied it with a friendly smile.

The direct, unflinching gaze of the wolf was unsettling, maybe even more so than the Phantom Hollow, but Mitanni stayed in place. Running would only give him a reason to pursue her, and given the way he was looking at her she didn't trust him to let her go unscathed. You're being paranoid, her thoughts tried to assure her, but there was no silencing the slight prickle of unease along the back of her neck.

As he drew slowly, slowly nearer, the black and brown wolf sank further into her cautious, nervous crouch. The stranger didn't outright approach her but chose instead to keep a bit of distance between them, speaking across the space. He sounded friendly enough, his tone at odds with the intense stare he'd given her to begin with, but Mitanni hoped it was only because he was nervous too. "Yeah, nice day," she echoed noncommittally, resisting the urge to fidget in place. "I'm just passing through. Needed a walk."

It wasn't altogether the truth, but given the circumstances she didn't feel too bad about it.

His friendly grin widened. In a way, the forced smile ached, though he kept the twitch back. Judas could see she was nervous. The perfect prey, but not without knowing if the pack was close. If it was, then he would wait another time. And also, he didn't like upright killing. He liked to get to know them, so that he could remember them well.

He stopped a couple feet away, keeping the friendly face on. "The same. Everyone needs a walk once in awhile, yes?" he asked, turning his head to the side a little as well as dipping it down slightly. "Name's Judas." He didn't ask her name, not wanting to make her feel more suspicious that someone would just come out of nowhere and ask their name right away.

Now that he was closer, Mitanni could more easily read the smile across his face. She wasn't sure entirely what to make of it, especially after being stared at so intently, but it seemed a better alternative to snarls and growls. Not that she'd been met with any of those yet, but she couldn't entirely rule them out either.

Her weight shifted from one side to the other as he stopped rather close by, still offering her a friendly expression. It relaxed her a little, and though she didn't smile the mottled black and brown female wagged her tail faintly again. "Agreed," she nodded when prompted about walking. She didn't offer her name in return for his--making a mental note that he went by Judas--but she did answer politely, at least trying to stay on his good side. "It's nice to meet you, Judas."

Bright amber eyes shifted away swiftly and returned to the green-eyed stranger, and on a whim she asked, "Do you like taking walks out this way?"

Judas examined how she spoke, how she acted. Trying to narrow down what type of wolf she is. Trying to figure how, if at one point, how he would go about dealing with her. If he needed to at one point in time. He always did that, with everyone he met. They all deserved it. That was his belief.

He gave a nod to her answer. She seemed so kind, but that did not faze him one bit. He had met many that were kind, and they all met the same end. He wagged his tail along with hers, trying to match the friendliness. "The pleasure is mine" he spoke formally. He relaxed his stature to show he meant no harm. Yet.

Judas nodded again to her question. He enjoyed getting to know them. Right before he ticked them off the list. To remember them and replay their death, over and over again. "No. I go from place to place. Roam around." It was a genuine answer. He did travel from place to place. Until he found the next victim. He always aimed to find someone where their death had a major impact.

Whatever tension she'd noticed in his body and posture was easing away the longer he sat conversing with her. That was a good sign, and Mitanni let herself relax a little more as well. Maybe she was just a little jumpy still because this region was so new to her. Maybe these wolves were all really as kind and friendly as the first few she'd met led her to believe. I'm getting worked up over nothing.

"Sounds like the life," she commented, honesty in her sentiments. She'd very much enjoyed her life as a lone wolf, even if it had been rough to keep herself fed and safe. That sort of freedom was unparalleled in any other setting. "Are you very familiar with this region?" Mitanni tilted her head to the right, eyeing Judas now with open curiosity. She liked exploring and learning about new places, and though she'd recently signed herself up to join a pack the mottled black and brown wolf was still very much interested in investigating the territories around her.

She relaxed more. That meant his plan was working. Judas was pleased with this, having his plan work. Especially after that last encounter. On a whim, he could have easily torn him apart. He considered himself lucky that big guy hadn't killed him. It was good he had not died.

His tail swung about a little more. "Indeed it is the life" he returned formally. But then his smile grew a tiny bit smaller as she asked that question. He had to think about the answer, since it could easily ruin his plan. "No. I arrived not too long ago" he answered, his face keeping as much friendliness as he could. Before he took his turn in asking questions, and turned the conversation in his favor. "You live around here?"

A newcomer, like me, Mitanni realized, ears perking atop her head. A little knowing light entered her amber eyes as she looked at him, expecting she understood now why he had watched her closely when he first spotted her, and then acted so out of sorts. She'd been rather similar when she first arrived, before she learned the wolves here weren't as scary as she thought they'd be. "I see."

Before she could ask another question and carry on the conversation herself, Judas voiced one of his own, and the brown and black female answered readily, "I do." No matter that she was still unsettled by the pack's territory, she was still happy to be a part of their group, and spoke of them with a touch of pride. "In the Phantom Hollow. My pack is Moonlit Hills." Mitanni wondered if he'd heard of them, but supposed not since he was new as well.

Judas watched her closely. And realized that, by her reaction, she too must be a newcomer. As was that wolf he met by a creek, wanting to create a new pack. How very...interesting. That changed things a bit, especially since being a newcomer meant trust was hard to come by. He knew that all too well. A very small part of him felt happy to be familiar with someone. A feeling he quickly set back.

He popped a brow up in interest at her answer. So she was part of a pack. Possibly close by, as with her possible lack of trust would have her not keep her distance from them. "Having a pack certainly has it's perks, especially during the winter...Close by, I assume?" He tipped his head on an angle to the side once more after popping the question.

"It does," the little wolf agreed while nodding her head. The wintry season had been part of the reason she'd eventually caved and joined her pack, though it was mostly an innate curiosity that sealed her decision. The same curiosity that was keeping her in conversation with Judas.

Once again, Mitanni nodded her head to answer the green-eyed male's question. "Yes, just through that forest." She turned her head, fixed her amber gaze in the direction of the Heartwood, and gestured toward it. On its other side lay the Phantom Hollow, and her pack, Moonlit Hills. "It's a little spooky," she admitted, "but you get used to it." Or at least she hoped.

She wasn't used to answering questions and felt most comfortable doing the asking instead, so she quickly spoke before Judas could get a chance to ask another. "Have you been by the Hot Springs? They're actually really nice this time of year." And so very warm compared to everywhere else. Maybe she could help Judas out with the wintry chill by sharing the knowledge of that little haven with him.

By his memories, he actually had no idea what being in a pack was like. Yes, his 'father' had brought him to a family of his own. But he had no part in anything with them. Well, except their ends. All in a day's work, and only used his own teeth against two of them. The rest fell for his traps. The first time he ever killed. And every time he relived it, that pushed him on.

He had to admit, the forest was quite spooky. A place just for his type. Though, with it being right next to a pack area, that complicated things. He would have to choose another area. Perhaps plains he saw nearby. They would suit him well, with an abundance of small critters all in the open. He eyed the forest, his tail wagging in interest. "Yes, it seems like it. Spooky." The way he let that word slip, it sounded slightly sinister. And it was too late to stop how the word came out.

He shook his head. "I came from the north. If it's not on the way, I wouldn't have seen it. Though by the sound of the name, it's a good place to visit during the winter." Possibly a good place for lone wanderers to lurk. A good grounds for him to take the lives of the unwary that only wish to seek comfort. Or just a place to lay low if he needed a break from continuous killing. When it started, that is.

Mitanni thought he looked noticeably pleased with the forest she'd directed his attention toward, and the way he spoke of it sounded almost like reverence. He'd really like Phantom Hollow then, the lithe little wolf concluded as she shifted a little in place. If she'd felt a little more confident in her power to do so, she might have suggested he take a peek at the pack, but he'd already mentioned his preference for freedom. That route was likely a lost cause anyway.

He hadn't been by the Hot Springs, but he did agree that it sounded perfect for this time of year. "It is," she agreed, "one of the nicer places to be right now." At least in her opinion. She just wasn't as perfectly suited for this weather as others were.

And traveling further north didn't really appeal much to her either. Maybe Judas didn't mind the cold and that was why he'd been traveling that way. "Did you find anything interesting up north?" Mitanni asked, hoping she could learn something without actually traveling the distance into the colder part of the region.

Shall we finish it off?

Judas nodded in agreement. Just by the sound of it, he wanted to go there. His tail wagged from the very tiny bubble of excitement inside him. "I must go there one day" he promised himself. For two reasons, which he already thought of doing. Relaxing, and furthering his task.

He shrugged, not knowing any names of any of the places he had come across. "I've seen some things. Some looked nice, and some, not so much." But the things he did remember were those he found along the way. All their faces, their features. And, if given, their names. 

Judas' gaze moved up to the sky, and he could see it was getting late. Time truly did fly. And even though he liked to lurk in the darkness, he rathered not do so in the open. Because even with his enjoyment of the darkness, his eyes hadn't fully adjusted to the lack of light. Just like the darkness in the middle of his eyes. And the darkness of his soul. "Well, I must be going. The sky darkens as we speak." He began to turn away, giving one last glance at her. He hadn't even gotten her name. But, such was life. Judas gave a farewell dip of his muzzle, then started off towards the plains he saw.

Sure, thanks for the thread.

Judas looked genuinely excited about the Hot Springs, and if she had to guess she assumed he would make his over there sometime in the future. She wished she'd been able to give him better direction toward it, but if he wandered as much as he said he did she felt confident he'd find it. And hopefully he'd enjoy it.

Little was given about his adventures north, and Mitanni nodded her head once. "I see," she answered thoughtfully, a little disappointed not to hear more but taking what she could get. Maybe she'd have to eventually give in and go see the place for herself after all.

He looked away, and as she followed his eyes she realized what it was he'd noticed. The sky was darkening, heralding in the night, and the little wolf released a soft sigh. She'd have to return home, back to the creepy forest and all its foggy shadows. "It was nice meeting you," Mitanni called out as Judas made his polite exit, and following his lead she turned and traipsed back toward the Phantom Hollow.