Silvertip Mountain Waiting For Spring

Maybe @Alastor, @Chaska, or @Moon Shadow since Mara has had yet to meet any of them. @Mason, we could start our thread together here too if you'd like! 

The young wolf was roaming the territory of Silvertip Mountain, taking in the sights of the winter. She was quite excited for the spring though, with all kinds of animals running around they'll be a lot more to see in nature than during the winter when most animals were hibernating or migrated to a warmer area. Luckily, the winter was coming to an end and most animals would return. She only feared the chance of coming across another bear, and wounded one of her senses even more than before. Her worries were interrupted by the splash of fish when walking around the falls, reminding her of Peak, an ivory colored male she had grown fond to in the pack. He had caught a fish for her not too long ago, as a token of appreciation for her helping him with his depression. The splash of another fish made her mind turn to Steady, another male she had taken a particular liking too. Unlike Peak, Steady had a dark pelt color and had accepted her into the pack. The two had spent time fishing together and ended up playing a bit. 

She took a deep breath in, her nose stinging from the cold. But barely a bother to her, with her nerve endings damaged from a young grizzly bear attack. Her feat left footprints as she tracked through the cold blanket of snow, she almost felt bad for disturbing the perfect layout. But didn't about it too much, knowing it would be replaced by another one soon enough.

Chaska headed out, determined to warm himself up with movement from the cold. Only to step out into a layer of snow. Chills ran up his legs, though only remained there. He had control over his feelings, not letting the cold spread around his body. The grey male trudged through the snow, coming upon a scent of another pack member. One he did not know. His tail swayed a couple of times as he approached.

He stopped several paces short of the female wolf with a multi-colored fur pelt. "Good morning, yes?" he quipped in greeting. He was interested in meeting another pack member, and possibly showing them his well-known trait throughout the pack of tale-telling.

Mara did not pick up the scent of the silvery male until he was in her sight, her ears pricked but body lowered in submission in respect, remembering what the Beta had informed her before. How she must lower herself in the presence of every wolf because she was the lowest rank in the pack. She hadn't met this pack member yet, but he was older than her by years. Pondering his question by taking a look around in the scenery of the new morning. "I would say so," she agreed. Her tail flicked back and forth a bit, in questioning.

He returned her submission stance with a bow of his head. His tail swayed in interest as he looked her over. Nothing about her was familiar, and she didn't give him any acknowledgement that they had met each other. She must not have met him when he was in his amnesiac state.

He nodded once before he turned his head to the falls. A beautiful sight on the mountain, it certainly was. His tail stilled as he admired it. "I am Chaska. And you are?" he asked her before turning his gaze back to her. He shared a friendly smile with her, cocking his head a little to the right. He always started with a name, if the conversation was begun by him and went his way.

"I'm Mara," the girl didn't bother saying her full name, since it wasn't as if Chaska would call her that anyway. He had an interesting demeanor to him, and she couldn't quite identify him. She did know, though, that he was kind, or else he wouldn't have approached with her with such a friendly attitude. "It's nice to meet you." she gave a half smile and lowered her head a bit. He was a completely new person, and he held plenty to tell. She was already hoping to learn more about him.

"Mara" he repeated in a quiet voice. He let it roll around in his head, attempting to store it in there so he could remember her if he ever needed her for anything at all. Chaska bent his rear legs to seat himself down. "It is nice to meet you also." He looked at the water. A couple of fish swam by. He had never attempted catching fish. And never planned to, either. "What brings you out here?"

Chaska's voice was quiet and soothing, which helped her relax around him. Not that she was intimidated by him, she assumed someone of Silvertip wouldn't be searching for a fight. He questioned why she was wandering around the falls, the wolf had to think a moment. What was the main reason for her to be out here? "Just to clear my head and take in the sights, and you?"

Chaska listened to the answer, and it was a common one. As well as being the same thing. This area was a great place to take one's mind off things. Such as past memories. If only his amnesia had taken them from him. He shrugged his foreleg shoulders before answering. "Same here. It's a nice spot here."

He looked around, searching around for something of interest. Something that could continue the conversation. He observed the thick layer of snow. "How is winter doing for you?" he asked with interest.

The yearling couldn't help but give an amused chuckle, how was winter treating her? Yes, it had given the girl a lovely pack, but also came with the emotional toll of Peak, a wolf who toyed with her emotions, intentionally or not. Unfortunately she shared a rather intimate time with him, already regretting it, seeing as she felt no love interest in the boy. At least she thought she didn't. How was she to know? She'd never been in love.

"It's had it's ups and downs." The girl spoke, this being the only true answer she could come up with. If Chaska pried hard enough, she'd surely spill, but for now it would be to herself and herself only. "And you?"

SO sorry for the delay, I'll be far more active now!

He nodded knowingly at her response. Indeed, winter had it's ups and downs. For one, the snow was a sight to behold for many. But linger in it too long, and it could prove quite deadly. Winter also held more darkness in most nights than the other seasons do. And food was less. All in all, there were less ups then there were downs.

"Very true. It is good that we can at least appreciate the ups without the downs weighing us down so low. Isn't it?" he asked with a small smile. He valued others opinions highly, especially on matters that seemed personal to him. Which this was not, just really a conversation starter more than anything else. "And I've been well myself. No weather too cold as of yet!" he answered enthusiastically with a swish of his tail and a larger smile.

His enthusiasm had rubbed on her slightly, a smile growing onto her maw. Chaska seemed a kind, good wolf, and she appreciated such wolves greatly. He seemed the optimist, which she believed herself to be as well, occasionally the downs would overwhelm her completely and take a rather large toll agaisnt her, luckily that often ended soon after it starts. "I agree, no use in letting the downs falter the ups."

This had been her first winter surviving alone, but she managed generally good, especially once joining Silvertip. The scenery was rather beautiful in her mind, though the girl preferred fall and spring over winter and summer. "I don't remember much of last winter, me being a pup and all, would you say this was a rather good one?"

"Advice to live by" he agreed. Advice he had been living his entire life. Through all the bad in the grey male's life, he always pushed on. Never letting the downs in life pull him under the earth, where he would lay forever if he let them do so.

Her question took some thought to answer. By far it was one of the best he had lived through. He nodded in reply. "One of the best I've had!" He grinned, wagging in excitement. No deaths during this winter of anyone he knew. Well, as far as he knew. "And I've seen some...pretty bad winters" he added, a sad expression taking over his previous smile, his ears wilting and his tail drooping. That was true. With his first winter being the end of his family.

It seemed the two did share a similar past with winters, as she had only been two months with the passing of her family. The winter season hadn't ended yet, and wolves were weak at the time, making them an easy target for poachers. Seeing the grey wolf's sudden change in expression, she grew worried. "I apologize," She hadn't lived through more than two, and barely remembered the first, he must had experienced plenty of difficulties in the frozen season. "What happened to make them so terrible?"

Chaska was hesitant to answer at first, taking her sympathies to heart. Memories fresh in his mind, he personally did not want to share. With others, he was fine with sharing his past story. But with the day of it happening having passed recently, it hurt him to speak of it.

He soon reached a decision. "I almost went through a whole winter with my birth pack. The summer after, I planned to leave, as many do when coming of age...I ended up leaving after...after a rival pack came." He stopped there, leaving out any other details. As the rest must have been self-explanatory. A small whine escaped his muzzle just thinking about that day. Chaska felt his legs wobble a little at the memory, but he soon regained composure.

His whine made her lower her ears, she shared a similar past, though she had no certainty if all her pack was dead. The girl believed her brother, Semble, was alive and well, remembering a glimpse of him running away from the poachers. That was all she had left of their pack, but it seemed Chaska had nothing that remained.

"That must have been horrible, I'm sorry it happened." Something told her it wasn't often the silvery wolf could share his problems, and listened to those of others instead.

He nodded solemnly. "It was...but as long as I still live, they live. In me." He wanted to believe that. Always wanted to believe they were close to his heart, and his spirit. He tried his best to change his face back to a happy one, but the sadness remained in his eyes. "Can't let that pull me down, now can I?" he asked with a bit of confidence.